Worked examples
- Scatter plot example: height and leaf area
- Scatter plot example: two laboratory treatments
- Scatter plot example: measurement instruments
How to make a scatter plot
- Paste a table or open an Excel, CSV or TSV file.
- Choose X, Y and optionally Group; check accepted and excluded rows.
- Choose reference lines, axis titles and size/style, then save the project and export.
Data format
Use numeric X and Y columns. Zero and negative values are valid. Missing or invalid coordinates exclude the whole pair, never become zero. A blank group remains distinct from a category literally named “(blank)”. Points can overlap. Tables above 20,000 valid pairs or eight groups are rejected without sampling.
| X | Y | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | Control |
| 1 | 4 | Treatment |
Manual axis limits must include every observation. Out-of-range reference lines require wider limits or disabling the reference. Scatter points are not connected; use Line Graph Maker for ordered series. Save before choosing an example; Undo example restores your preceding work.
Frequently asked questions
What data does a scatter plot need?
Use one row per pair of numeric X and Y measurements, with an optional Group column. Select columns explicitly if their headers are not X, Y and Group.
Are missing values treated as zero?
No. Rows with missing or invalid coordinates are excluded with row numbers and counts. Duplicate coordinates remain and can overlap.
Does the tool calculate correlation or regression?
No. Horizontal, vertical and identity references are guides you choose, not fitted models. An identity line is meaningful for comparable quantities in the same units.
Can I reopen the chart later?
Save a local project file and open it in this tool to restore the data, column choices and figure settings. Your last chart is also saved in this browser.