Alt text in Excel charts goes in the Alt Text pane, not in cell comments

To add alt text to a chart in Excel, right-click the chart, select "Edit Alt Text" from the menu, and type your description into the pane that opens on the right side of the screen. This works the same way in Excel for Windows, Excel for Mac, and Excel on the web. The alt text you write there is what screen readers will read aloud to people who cannot see the chart.

The key difference from other Office programs is that Excel charts store alt text separately from the chart itself — you cannot just click inside the chart and type. You have to use the dedicated Alt Text pane. If you do not see "Edit Alt Text" in the right-click menu, make sure you have clicked directly on the chart border or the chart area, not on a cell behind it.

Alt text for charts is especially important because a screen reader cannot describe what a bar graph or pie chart shows the way it can describe text or a simple image. A person using a screen reader will hear only "Chart" or "Image" unless you write alt text that explains what the data represents and why it matters.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the chart itself, not a cell, and select "Edit Alt Text" to open the pane where you write your description.
  • Describe what the chart shows, what the axes represent, and the main takeaway — for example, "Bar chart showing monthly sales by region, with the Northeast region reaching the highest total in March."
  • Keep alt text under 125 words so screen reader users can hear the full description without it becoming overwhelming.
  • Alt text you add in Excel is preserved when you save the file or share it, but only if the recipient opens it in a program that supports alt text.

Writing alt text that describes the chart, not just names it

The most common mistake is writing "Chart" or "Sales Chart" as the alt text. A screen reader user already knows it is a chart — they need to know what the chart shows. Start by naming the chart type and the main subject, then add the key information someone would get by looking at it.

For a simple bar chart comparing quarterly revenue, write something like: "Bar chart comparing quarterly revenue across four regions. North region shows the highest revenue in Q3 at $450,000, while South region shows the lowest in Q1 at $200,000." For a pie chart showing budget allocation, write: "Pie chart showing annual budget allocation. Marketing receives 35 percent, Operations 40 percent, and Development 25 percent."

If the chart is complex — many data series, overlapping lines, or small differences that are hard to see — you may need 100 to 125 words to describe it accurately. If it is simple, 20 to 40 words is often enough. The goal is to give someone who cannot see the chart the same information a sighted person would get in a few seconds of looking at it.

Step-by-step: adding alt text in Excel for Windows

Open your spreadsheet and locate the chart you want to add alt text to. Click once on the chart to select it — you should see a border around the entire chart area. Right-click anywhere on the chart itself. A menu will appear with options like "Cut," "Copy," and "Format Chart Area."

Look for "Edit Alt Text" in that menu and click it. A pane will open on the right side of your screen with a text box labeled "Description." Click in that box and type your alt text. You can write up to 2,000 characters, but aim for 125 words or fewer. When you are finished, click outside the pane or press Escape to close it. Your alt text is now saved to the chart.

If you do not see "Edit Alt Text" in the menu, you may have clicked on a cell instead of the chart. Click directly on the chart area — the white background, the title, or one of the bars or lines — and try again. If you are using an older version of Excel (2016 or earlier), the Alt Text pane may not be available; in that case, right-click the chart and look for "Format Chart Area," then find an "Alt Text" or "Accessibility" tab in the dialog that opens.

Adding alt text in Excel for Mac and Excel on the web

In Excel for Mac, the process is nearly identical. Click the chart, right-click it, and select "Edit Alt Text" from the menu. The pane opens on the right side, and you type your description in the same way. Save your file when you are done, and the alt text is preserved.

In Excel on the web (the version you use in a browser when you open Excel through Office.com or OneDrive), click the chart and look for an information icon or "Alt Text" button in the toolbar that appears above the chart. Click it to open a pane where you can type your description. The process is slightly different visually, but the end result is the same — your alt text is stored with the chart.

If you are working in a shared workbook or a file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, your alt text will be visible to anyone who opens the file in Excel, as long as they are using a recent version. Older versions of Excel may not display the alt text pane, but the alt text itself is still there and will be read by screen readers.

What happens to alt text when you move or copy a chart

If you copy a chart from one spreadsheet and paste it into another, the alt text comes with it. You do not have to rewrite it. If you move a chart to a different location on the same sheet, the alt text stays attached to the chart. If you delete a chart, the alt text is deleted with it.

If you convert a chart to an image (by right-clicking and selecting "Save as Picture"), the alt text does not transfer. You would need to add alt text to the image separately using the same "Edit Alt Text" option. If someone downloads your Excel file and opens it in a program that does not support alt text — such as Google Sheets or an older version of Excel — the alt text will not be visible in the program, but it is still stored in the file and will be read by screen readers.

Alt text for different chart types

The structure of your alt text should match the type of chart. For a line chart tracking a trend over time, describe the overall direction and any significant peaks or valleys: "Line chart showing website traffic from January to December. Traffic rises steadily from 5,000 visits in January to 12,000 in June, then declines to 8,000 by December." For a scatter plot, describe the relationship between the two variables: "Scatter plot showing the relationship between hours studied and exam score. Points cluster in the upper right, indicating a positive correlation."

For a stacked bar or area chart, describe what each section represents and which is largest: "Stacked bar chart showing revenue by product category for three years. Hardware consistently represents the largest share at roughly 50 percent, followed by Software at 35 percent and Services at 15 percent." For a combination chart with multiple types of data, name each type and explain why they are shown together: "Combination chart showing monthly sales revenue as bars and profit margin as a line. Revenue peaks in November at $200,000, while margin remains steady between 18 and 22 percent throughout the year."

Testing your alt text with a screen reader

If you have access to a screen reader, the best way to check your alt text is to use it. On Windows, the built-in Narrator screen reader can read your alt text aloud. Press Windows key + Enter to turn on Narrator, then navigate to your chart and listen to what Narrator reads. On Mac, VoiceOver is built in; press Command + F5 to turn it on.

If you do not use a screen reader yourself, you can still test by reading your alt text aloud. If it sounds awkward or unclear when spoken, revise it. Another test is to close your eyes and have someone read your alt text to you while you look at the chart — if the description matches what you see, it is probably accurate enough. If you find yourself thinking "but the chart also shows..." while listening, your alt text is missing something important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add alt text to a chart in an older version of Excel?

If you are using Excel 2016 or earlier, the Alt Text pane may not be available. Right-click the chart and look for "Format Chart Area" or "Format Chart Title." In the dialog that opens, look for a tab labeled "Alt Text" or "Accessibility." If no such tab exists, your version does not support alt text for charts, though you can still add alt text to other objects like images.

What if my chart is too complex to describe in 125 words?

Write a brief summary in the alt text — the chart type, main subject, and key takeaway — then provide a longer description elsewhere. You could add a note in a cell below the chart, include a summary table, or write a paragraph in the document that explains the data in detail. Screen reader users will get the essential information from your alt text and can access the longer explanation if they need it.

Does alt text in Excel work if I convert the file to PDF?

When you save an Excel file as a PDF, the alt text does not automatically transfer to the PDF. If you need alt text in a PDF, you would have to add it separately using PDF editing software. If you are sharing the file as an Excel document, the alt text will be preserved and readable by screen readers.

Can I edit alt text after I have saved the file?

Yes. Open the file, right-click the chart, select "Edit Alt Text," and make your changes. Save the file when you are done. You can edit alt text as many times as you need.

What if the chart has a title — do I need to repeat it in the alt text?

You can mention the title briefly, but focus on describing what the chart shows rather than repeating the title word for word. If the title is "Q3 Sales by Region," your alt text might be "Bar chart showing Q3 sales by region, with the Northeast region reaching $450,000 and the South region reaching $200,000." This gives context without being redundant.