Answer

They are not showing because the chart’s label settings, data range, formatting, or the worksheet state prevents Excel from displaying them.

How do I make data labels appear?

To add data labels on Windows:

1. Select the chart.

2. Click the green Chart Elements button (plus icon) at the chart’s top-right.

3. Check Data Labels and choose a position (Center, Inside End, Outside End, etc.).

4. Use Format Data Labels (right-click a label → Format Data Labels) to choose which values to show.

To add data labels on Mac:

1. Select the chart.

2. On the Chart Design or Chart tab, choose Add Chart Element → Data Labels.

3. Pick the label position.

4. Right-click a label and choose Format Data Labels to refine contents and number formats.

How do I show axis (category) labels?

To show category (axis) labels:

1. Select the chart.

2. Click the axis to select the horizontal (category) axis.

3. Right-click and choose Format Axis.

4. Under Labels, set Label Position to Next to Axis (not None).

5. Confirm the chart’s data range includes the category cells that contain the label text.

Common causes and fixes

1. Chart element is turned off → Turn on Data Labels or Axis Titles/Labels via Chart Elements.

2. Labels exist but are white or match the background → Change label font color and size in Format Data Labels.

3. Labels cut off by chart area → Resize chart or set Text Box properties to Allow text to overflow; move chart away from sheet edge.

4. Data range excludes category cells → Edit chart data range: Chart Design → Select Data and include the correct label range.

5. Number format returns blank (custom format like ;;;) → Clear custom formats on the source cells.

6. Hidden rows or columns used for labels and chart ignores them → Unhide rows/columns or change chart option: Select Data → Hidden and Empty Cells → Show data in hidden rows and columns (Windows).

7. PivotChart with collapsed items or filtered data → Expand items or adjust PivotTable field settings to show items with no data.

8. Overlapping labels or very small chart → Increase chart size, change label position, or use leader lines for clarity.

9. Chart type does not support axis labels (e.g., some doughnut variations) → Add data labels instead or switch chart type.

How to check for hidden/empty labels or blank values

1. Inspect the source range for blank cells or cells with formulas returning "".

2. Replace "" with NA() for series that should be ignored visually, or supply a real value for labels to show.

3. Use Select Data → Hidden and Empty Cells and choose Show data in hidden rows and columns to ensure hidden cells’ labels appear.

What to do when labels are behind other objects or truncated

1. Right-click the chart → Format Chart Area → set Bring to Front to avoid overlapping objects.

2. Increase chart margins: right-click axis → Format Axis → Labels → Label Position; move titles or resize plot area.

3. Reduce label text length or rotate labels: select axis → Format Axis → Text Options → Text Box → Text direction or Custom angle.

Special notes for Pivot Charts

1. Pivot Charts follow PivotTable structure and will not show labels for collapsed items.

2. To show all category labels, expand the PivotTable fields or use Field Settings to show items with no data.

Checklist to run quickly (1–2 minutes)

1. Select chart → turn on Data Labels or Axis Labels via Chart Elements.

2. Verify chart data range includes label cells: Chart Design → Select Data.

3. Confirm the label font color is not the same as the background.

4. Ensure hidden rows/columns are included via Select Data → Hidden and Empty Cells.

5. Resize the chart and change the label position to prevent overlap.

When Windows and Mac differ

1. Ribbon names differ slightly. Windows shows Chart Elements (plus icon) for quick toggles; Mac places many options under Chart or Chart Design menus.

2. The dialog Select Data → Hidden and Empty Cells is present on Windows and recent Mac versions; older Mac Excel may require un-hiding rows manually.

3. Right-click context menus work similarly, but some Mac trackpad gestures differ.

If these steps do not restore labels

1. Copy the chart to a new sheet to figure out sheet-specific settings?

2. Recreate the chart from the same data to see if the issue persists.

3. Test on a small sample range to isolate whether source data or chart settings cause the problem.

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