Adding a running total to a waterfall chart

Excel waterfall charts show the running total of a series of numbers so you can see how each number contributes to the overall total. However, by default, the chart doesn't display a separate bar for the actual running total:

If you want to add a total bar to a waterfall chart, you can do so as follows:

1. Add the data you want to plot to an Excel range. For example, you can add a Sales Date label to cell A1, a series of dates to cells A2:A13, an Amount label to cell B1, and the amount for each date to cells B2:B13.

2. Add extra rows for any totals you want to include in the chart. For example, you can add a Balance label to cell A14 and the formula =SUM(B2:B13) to cell B14:

3. Select the data range (in this example, A1:B14) and insert the waterfall chart by choosing Insert > Charts > Insert Waterfall... Chart > Waterfall.

4. Select each bar you want to show as a total by clicking it twice (very slowly, so it doesn't register as a double-click), then right-click it and select the Set As Total option from the context menu. In this example, you'd perform these actions for waterfall chart's final Balance bar:

When you set the bar as a total, Excel displays it as a total column that doesn't affect the overall running total:

If you want to learn more about using Excel charts, the Excel Cookbook includes a dedicated chapter. I also regularly run live Mastering Excel Charts training on the O'Reilly learning platform.