How do I add standard deviation error bars?

Add a column with the SD for each point next to the value column. It is detected automatically; otherwise choose it in the Series panel.

Can error bars be different for each point?

Yes. Error values from a column can differ on every row.

Do error bars work on log axes?

Yes. On a log Y axis the lower bar is clipped at the axis minimum when Y − error would be zero or negative.

No. Your data never leaves your browser. Plotiq parses and plots files locally with JavaScript, so nothing is uploaded to a server.

Graph with Error Bars Maker – Add SD or SE Online

Add error bars to line, scatter and bar graphs. Take them from a column (SD, SE, CI) or apply one value to every point.

Series	n	Mean	Median	SD	SE	Min	Max
Absorbance	7	0.30143	0.297	0.21558	0.081483	0.002	0.602

Series	Model	Equation	Parameters	R²
Absorbance	linear	y = 0.04989x + 0.002071	b = 0.0020714, m = 0.049893	0.99980

How to use the Error Bar Graph Maker

Put each error column right after its value column, e.g. Absorbance, SD.
Under Series, check that the correct error column is selected for each Y column.
Or switch the error mode to "Fixed value" or "% of value".
Download the graph.

Standard deviation vs standard error

Standard deviation (SD) describes how spread out the individual measurements are. Standard error of the mean (SE = SD/√n) describes how precisely you know the mean. Use SD to show variability in your sample and SE (or a 95% confidence interval) when comparing means. Always say in the caption which one you plotted and what n is.

Error bars from a column

Plotiq treats any column whose name contains SD, SE, SEM, Error or Std as an error column and pairs it with the value column just before it. You can change the pairing in the Series panel. Error bars are symmetric (±) and drawn with caps.

Calculating SD from replicates

If you have raw replicate measurements, calculate the mean and SD in Excel first (=AVERAGE and =STDEV.S) and paste those columns. Or paste each group as a column into the box plot maker to show the full spread.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add standard deviation error bars?: Add a column with the SD for each point next to the value column. It is detected automatically; otherwise choose it in the Series panel.
Can error bars be different for each point?: Yes. Error values from a column can differ on every row.
Do error bars work on log axes?: Yes. On a log Y axis the lower bar is clipped at the axis minimum when Y − error would be zero or negative.
Is my data private?: No. Your data never leaves your browser. Plotiq parses and plots files locally with JavaScript, so nothing is uploaded to a server.

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · by the Plotiq team