Column chart with primary and secondary y-axes

calendar_today Asked Jul 18, 2013
thumb_up 10 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

I believe this method is more straightforward: Create two dummy series. Series1 and dummy1 on the primary axis, Series2 and dummy2 on the secondary axis. Reorder the series so…. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #115th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2013.


The Problem (Q-score 9, ranked #115th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

My problem seems simple, I just want to make a column chart with 2 y-axes. When I do this, Excel automatically puts the columns overlapping. I do not want them overlapped! How do I go about correcting this?

An image of what is happening:

Excel overlapping column problem

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+10)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

I believe this method is more straightforward:

  1. Create two dummy series. Series1 and dummy1 on the primary axis, Series2 and dummy2 on the secondary axis.
  2. Reorder the series so dummy1 is above Series1
    enter image description here


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #115th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this above-median answer still worth copying?
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Answer score +10 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is solid. The score plus 9 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+9) means the asker and 9 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

Published around 2013 — what’s changed since?
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Published 2013, which is 13 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #114?
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The pattern one rank above is “Write a formula into a cell depending on another cell value”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 9, Answer-score 10, original post 2013, ranked #115th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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