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All Tutorials /MS Excel

How to Change the Legend Text of Microsoft Excel Charts

Updated on:
May 12, 2026
By:
Madhav Bhandari
Use this interactive demo to learn how to rename chart legend labels in Microsoft Excel.

Quick summary

You can change the legend text of a Microsoft Excel chart by accessing Select Data through the Chart menu and editing each series name directly. This method lets you rename any chart legend label without altering your underlying worksheet data.


Steps

  1. In your Microsoft Excel worksheet, find and select the chart you wish to edit.
  2. Navigate to the top menu bar and click the 'Chart' option.
  3. Choose 'Select Data' from the available dropdown options.
  4. Click the 'Format' tab to proceed further.
  5. Locate and select the data series represented by the legend you wish to edit.
  6. Tap the 'Series Name' field and replace the default name with your new legend label; repeat this for each additional series.
  7. After completing these steps, the legend text of the selected chart will be updated based on your input.

📌 Why this matters

Knowing how to change legend text in Microsoft Excel charts is essential for anyone who needs to present data clearly and professionally. Default series names like 'Series 1' or 'Series 2' are often meaningless to audiences, and custom legend labels make charts immediately easier to interpret. This feature is particularly valuable for business analysts, data teams, and presenters who share Excel reports with stakeholders. Renaming chart legends without modifying source data ensures your visualizations stay accurate while becoming far more readable.
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