The toolbar at the top of the chart provides a set of commands for working with the chart display and chart data. For example, you can use the toolbar to change the chart type, add or remove a legend, change series or category data to reflect data in rows or columns, and more. It is most useful when your chart is based on data from a PivotTable list or database table or query, and you want to sort, filter, or change the display of data in a chart.

You can use the toolbar while designing the chart, and users can also use the toolbar to work with the chart at run time (such as when a chart is displayed in the browser). To see the command name of each button, rest the pointer on the button.

The Commands and Options dialog box includes commands to change formatting options, select parts of the chart, group and ungroup series so that you can combine charts, and more. The dialog box also includes some commands that aren't present on the toolbar or shortcut menus. To display the dialog box, either click Commands and Options on the toolbar or right-click the chart and click Commands and Options on the shortcut menu.

The commands and properties in the Commands and Options dialog box are distributed among several tabs such as General (where you can select parts of the chart, add or remove a legend or chart title, and change some chart formatting options). Other tabs are displayed depending on what part of the chart is selected. For example, if you select a data series, tabs are displayed that relate to data series, such as Border/Fill, Type, and Conditional Format. When you select an axis, the Format, Line/Marker, Axis, and Scale tabs are displayed. If you can't locate the command you are looking for, make sure you have selected the correct item in the chart that corresponds to that command.

The field list is available from the chart toolbar when your chart is based on database data or on a PivotTable list. Use the field list to view the list of fields that are available from the source data and to add fields to the category, series, filter, and data areas of a chart. In the field list, the fields that are not bold are available but not yet displayed in the chart. The bold fields are already displayed in the chart. You can scroll and click the expand indicators ( or boxes) to show or hide additional fields.

When you right-click an active chart, the shortcut menu displays commands to show or hide the toolbar, the Commands and Options dialog box, and — when the chart is based on a PivotTable list or database data — the field list and drop areas. This menu also contains the Data command, which allows you to change the source data for the chart.

The Commands and Options dialog box is not available during run time by default. Help for the Commands and Options dialog box is also not available at run time. You can enable the Commands and Options dialog box at run time if you choose, but you should provide your own instructions for using it on the Web page.

The toolbar is available at run time, but only if users specifically select it or if you enable it to display on the chart by default. The field list is available when the chart is based on database data or a PivotTable list, and if you enable it in the Commands and Options dialog box.

The shortcut menu is available, but commands that do not apply at run time are unavailable.