If your Numbers table has completely empty rows between records, select only the rows you want charted, then create the chart from that selection. For a chart that should preserve a real missing period, keep its category label and leave the value cell blank. Numbers can chart selected cells and update a chart when its source data changes, but Apple’s Mac guide does not document a control that automatically removes blank rows or lets you choose how every kind of empty cell is plotted. Select data to make a chart in Numbers on Mac

Decide what each blank row means

First distinguish a spacer row from a missing observation. A spacer row has no record to represent; for a clean chart, leave it outside the selected source range. A row with a date or category but no measurement represents a real place in the sequence where data is unavailable. Keep that label and the blank measurement if you need the chart’s categories to reflect the original timeline. Don’t enter 0 unless zero is the actual value: that changes the meaning of the data.

Apple documents selecting table cells to make a chart and editing the chart’s referenced range later. Its guide does not specify whether blank cells or entirely empty rows create gaps, category positions, or other behavior in every chart type. Inspect the result in your Numbers version, especially for line or area charts, and don’t assume there is an Excel-style “empty cells” setting in Numbers. Modify chart data in Numbers on Mac

Create a chart from selected rows

  1. In Numbers on your Mac, open the spreadsheet and identify the category labels and numeric series you want to chart. Include the header cells if they name the categories or series.

  2. Select the relevant cell range by dragging across it. To include a whole row or column, click in the table, then click its row number or column letter. If spacer rows interrupt the data, select each useful region with Command-click if your Mac permits a discontinuous selection in that layout; if selection becomes awkward or includes unintended cells, make a small adjacent charting table containing just the intended records. Apple supports selecting cells from one or more tables, but its chart guide does not prescribe a special blank-row removal command. Select data to make a chart in Numbers on Mac

  3. Click the Chart button in the toolbar, choose 2D Charts, 3D Charts, or Interactive, then choose a chart style. For a simple comparison across categories, a column or bar chart is often a practical starting point; for values over time, a line chart can show sequence. These are suggestions based on the question you want the graphic to answer, not a rule imposed by Numbers.

  4. Check the chart’s labels and series. If rows and columns are interpreted the wrong way, click the chart, choose Edit Data References, and use the pop-up menu at the bottom to choose Plot Columns as Series or Plot Rows as Series. Click Done when the references look right. Modify chart data in Numbers on Mac

When a blank row is intentional

If the blank means “no measurement recorded,” preserve the label and empty value rather than deleting the row or substituting zero. Then check how the selected chart type displays it. If the blank is only visual spacing between records and should not occupy a category, exclude that entire row from the chart’s source cells or use a compact charting table without spacer rows. This compact table can sit alongside the original data and avoids changing the source records; select its range to create the chart.

A chart made from a smaller selection will not include records left outside that selection. If you later add records, review the chart’s references: select the chart and click Edit Data References. Apple says you can drag the selection box’s corner to add or remove cells from an existing series, or drag over table cells to add a range. Modify chart data in Numbers on Mac

If hidden or filtered rows affect the result

Hidden rows and filtered data have a documented chart option. By default, Numbers excludes hidden or filtered data from a chart; to include it, select the chart, open the Format sidebar’s Chart tab, and turn on Hidden Data. This is useful when you are using a filter to control which records are visible, but it is not a dedicated command for deleting blank rows from chart data. Modify chart data in Numbers on Mac

For an all-empty spacer row, the clearest fix is a source range that omits it. For a genuine missing value, retain its category and blank cell, then verify the chart’s appearance rather than silently converting missing information to zero. Once the labels, series, and treatment of missing data match your intended message, the chart is ready to use in the spreadsheet.

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