How to Import an Excel Combo Chart With a Secondary Axis Into Google Sheets

An Excel combo chart can now carry its secondary axis into Google Sheets. Google’s July 2026 update says imported files preserve combo-chart types and secondary-axis configurations, addressing the earlier behavior in which the second axis could be dropped. Google also added Clustered Column – Line, Clustered Column – Line on Secondary Axis, and Custom Combo chart types (Google Workspace Updates).

The practical workflow is:

1. Structure the data as one category column plus one column per series.
2. Import the Excel workbook.
3. Confirm that the correct series still uses the right axis.
4. Label both axes before sharing or publishing the data.

Use a simple source table

A column-line chart comparing revenue with margin could start with this sample dataset:

Month	Revenue ($)	Margin (%)
Jan	120000	31%
Feb	138000	34%
Mar	131000	33%
Apr	154000	37%
May	168000	39%
Jun	172000	38%

Use columns for revenue and a line for margin. Put revenue on the left vertical axis and margin on the right so that each scale has a clearly identified unit.

Keep headers in the first row and categories in the first column. Avoid inserting totals or commentary inside the chart range. For a fuller introduction to selecting ranges and matching chart types to data, see how to make a graph in Google Sheets.

Import the Excel chart into Google Sheets

Upload the .xlsx file to Google Drive, then open it with Google Sheets.

Inspect the chart rather than assuming visual equivalence. Google’s 2026 update addresses the specific problem in which imported combo charts could lose their secondary axis, but the result still needs an editorial check. If the workbook also contains Excel tables or other structured features, review those separately; Excel tables and dependent workbook features do not all import identically.

Check that:

• the chart is still a combo chart;
• the intended series appears as a line rather than a column;
• that line uses the right vertical axis;
• the source range includes every intended row and excludes totals;
• percentage, currency and other number formats remain meaningful;
• the legend and axis titles identify each measure and unit.

Rebuild or repair the combo chart in Sheets

If the imported chart needs correction—or you are starting from the table alone—select the full range, including headers, and choose Insert > Chart. In the Chart editor’s Setup tab, choose Clustered Column – Line on Secondary Axis for this two-series arrangement. Choose Custom Combo when you need to assign chart types series by series. Google defines a combo chart as one that displays each series with a different marker type, such as a column, line or area line (Google Docs Editors Help).

To put a specific series on the second Y-axis:

1. Double-click the chart.
2. Open Customize > Series.
3. Under Apply to, select the series—Margin (%) in the sample.
4. Under Axis, choose Right axis.
5. Open Right vertical axis to adjust its formatting if necessary.

These are Google’s documented controls for assigning a series to a second Y-axis (Google Docs Editors Help). To add explicit units, open Customize > Chart & axis title, choose the relevant axis title under Type, and enter the title text. Google’s general chart instructions also place chart type and data-range controls under Setup, with titles and styling under Customize (Google Docs Editors Help).

If the chart still looks wrong, check the data before adjusting axis bounds. Percentages stored as text, mixed currencies, blank category labels or an accidentally included total row can make a correctly configured chart misleading.

Verify the chart for publication

A secondary axis is useful when series use different units or their values vary widely; Microsoft gives price and volume as an example and notes that a secondary axis works well with a column-line combination (Microsoft Support). It should not be used to imply a relationship that the data does not establish. Label both axes, use visibly different marks, and do not tune the two scales merely to make peaks and dips align.

For a public dataset, retain the underlying table alongside the chart. Readers should be able to inspect values such as Revenue ($) and Margin (%) directly rather than reverse-engineering them from two scales. Before publishing, compare the Excel chart, the Sheets chart and several source rows. Confirm the same category order, series assignment, axis units and plotted values in each version.