How to Add Two Y-Axes in WPS Office Charts

If you've ever tried to plot two data series with very different value ranges on the same chart — say, monthly revenue in the thousands alongside a conversion rate expressed as a percentage — you've probably run into the same wall: one series gets squashed, the other dominates, and the chart becomes nearly unreadable. Adding a secondary Y-axis solves this by giving each data series its own vertical scale while keeping them on the same chart. WPS Office Spreadsheets supports this feature, though the path to get there isn't as obvious as it could be.

What a Secondary Y-Axis Actually Does

A standard chart has one Y-axis (vertical) and one X-axis (horizontal). Every data series plotted on that chart shares the same vertical scale. That works fine when your values are in the same ballpark. But when one series ranges from 0–100 and another from 0–500,000, the smaller series practically disappears.

A dual Y-axis chart (also called a combo chart or secondary axis chart) adds a second vertical scale on the right side of the chart. Each series is anchored to its own axis, so both can display their true shape and variation — even when their absolute values are worlds apart. 📊

This is particularly useful for:

• Comparing volume and rate (e.g., sales units vs. profit margin %)
• Overlaying temperature and rainfall on a climate chart
• Tracking traffic and conversion simultaneously in a marketing report

Step-by-Step: Adding a Second Y-Axis in WPS Office

WPS Office Spreadsheets closely mirrors Microsoft Excel's interface, but the workflow has some differences depending on your version. Here's the general process:

Step 1: Create Your Initial Chart

Select your data range — including both data series and your category labels — then go to Insert → Chart. Choose a chart type. For dual-axis charts, Bar, Column, or Line charts work best. Pie and radar charts don't support secondary axes.

Click OK to insert the chart into your sheet.

Step 2: Select the Data Series You Want to Move

Click once on the chart to activate it, then click directly on the data series you want to assign to the secondary axis. You're looking for the series with the smaller or differently-scaled values. When selected correctly, you'll see handles appear on that specific series only — not the entire chart.

Step 3: Open Format Data Series

Right-click on the selected data series. From the context menu, choose Format Data Series. A panel or dialog box will open on the right side (or as a pop-up, depending on your WPS version).

Step 4: Switch the Axis Assignment

Inside the Format Data Series panel, look for a section called Series Options. You'll see a setting labeled Plot Series On, with two radio buttons:

• Primary Axis
• Secondary Axis

Select Secondary Axis. The chart will immediately update — a second Y-axis appears on the right side of the chart, and your selected series rescales to fit that new axis.

Step 5: Adjust Chart Type Per Series (Optional but Recommended)

With two axes in play, it often helps to visually distinguish the two series by using different chart types for each. For example, keep one series as a column chart and display the second as a line. This makes it immediately clear to readers that these series are operating on different scales.

To do this, right-click the chart and select Change Chart Type (in some WPS versions this appears as Combo Chart). From there, you can assign a chart type independently to each series.

Formatting Both Axes for Clarity

Once your secondary axis is in place, raw axis labels can still confuse readers if they're not formatted clearly.

Axis titles are especially important on dual-axis charts. Without them, readers may not realize there are two separate scales, which can lead to badly misread data. Label the left axis with its unit (e.g., Revenue (USD)) and the right with its own (e.g., Conversion Rate (%)).

Common Issues When Adding a Second Y-Axis in WPS Office

The secondary axis option is greyed out. This usually happens when the chart type doesn't support dual axes. Scatter plots and some 3D chart types won't allow it. Switch to a 2D column, bar, or line chart first.

Both series still look the same scale. Check that you actually selected one individual series before opening Format Data Series — if the whole chart was selected, the axis assignment applies globally. Click off the chart, then click back in and click directly on one series line or bar.

The right axis appears but shows weird values. WPS auto-calculates the secondary axis range based on the data. You can manually override this by double-clicking the right Y-axis and setting a fixed minimum and maximum under Axis Options. 🔧

How Your Setup Affects the Process

The exact labels, menu locations, and panel layouts can vary based on several factors:

• WPS Office version — The free version, WPS Office Personal, and WPS Office Pro have slightly different UI layouts. Older versions may use dialog boxes where newer versions use side panels.
• Operating system — WPS for Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile (Android/iOS) each have different interface conventions. The mobile version has limited chart editing capabilities and may not support secondary axes at all.
• File format — Working in .et (WPS's native format) versus .xlsx (Excel format) can occasionally affect how chart features render and save.
• Chart type already in use — If you're editing an existing chart rather than building from scratch, the series might be locked into a type that resists axis changes.

Understanding which combination of these variables applies to your situation is what determines whether the steps above map directly onto what you see on your screen — or whether you'll need to adapt them to your specific version and setup.