Richard's computer recently updated Windows 10 and now his Excel charts that have trendlines all have a little message in the top-left corner stating "trendline error." Richard doesn't know if this is related to the Windows update or not, but he needs to understand why the message appeared and how to remove it.
The appearance of this message wasn't caused by an update in Windows, but by an update in the Office 365 version of Excel. The first reports about this message were near the end of July, so it is a relatively recent issue. You can see it discussed in this Microsoft forum:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel/chart-displaying-quot-trendline-error-quot/m-p/1538964
The participants indicated that the error occurs when the X values (those indicated along the horizontal axis) are either 0 or very close in value to each other. This results in a calculated "infinite slope" that cannot provide any meaningful trend that can be displayed.
It seems, though, that the message may also appear in places it shouldn't. For instance, take a look at this discussion on a different Microsoft forum:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/pivot-chart-trending-error/e1471b3e-ad2c-4776-837a-c42fa6410f9b
In this case, the message was appearing on PivotCharts, even when the chart did not contain a trendline. In this instance, the appearance of the message is definitely an error, and was reported to Microsoft. This means that it should be corrected—at least for charts that contain no trendlines—in a future release of the program.
It remains to be seen whether the fix, when it comes, will affect those charts where the X values are close to the same. It is also unclear whether Microsoft will make it a configuration option to display or not display this message. In the meantime, the only solution would be to try removing the trendlines for those charts where a trendline makes little sense.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7631) applies to Microsoft Excel 2021.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
Need a chart that uses two lines for axis labels? It's easy to do if you know how to set up your data in the worksheet, ...
Discover MoreYou want your chart to display information as clearly and succinctly as possible. Modifying the labels used to indicate ...
Discover MoreCreate a chart in Excel, and you may find that the tick marks shown on the axes in the chart aren't to your liking. It is ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-04-28 15:55:25
Pat
Frustratingly enough I am experiencing this same error and have yet to find a way to troubleshoot. Thank you for posting the forum links, hopefully I'll turn up something.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments