How to Create a Chart Description for a Presentation with Copilot
A chart without commentary is just shapes on a slide. Copilot can write the explanation that turns a chart into a story.
What it is
Charts are essential in presentations and reports — but they’re also where most decks fall flat. The chart shows the data; the audience has to interpret it themselves; half the meaning is lost. The fix is to add a one-sentence takeaway and a short description that tells the audience what the chart means, not just what it shows.
Copilot can write these descriptions in seconds. Tell it what the chart shows (the metric, the timeframe, the categories), and ask for a takeaway plus a longer description. The takeaway becomes your slide title or the line under the chart. The description becomes your speaker notes or the body text. The chart now communicates, instead of just decorating.
This is also where accessibility lives. Charts without descriptions are inaccessible to screen readers. A short alt text on every chart makes your content usable by people who can’t see it — and it’s the same description Copilot has already written. Win twice with one prompt.
When to use this
- When you have a chart in a presentation and need commentary.
- When you want a one-line headline that explains what the chart shows.
- When you want speaker notes for a slide with a chart.
- When you need accessible alt text for charts in any document.
How to do it
- Identify what the chart shows (metric, timeframe, categories).
- Ask Copilot for a one-sentence takeaway.
- Ask for a 2-3 sentence description suitable for a slide or speaker notes.
- Edit to match your slide tone and keep it factual.
- Add the description to speaker notes, body text, or alt text.
- Verify the description against the actual chart data.
Best practices
- Lead with the takeaway. What changed, what matters — first.
- Use units and timeframes explicitly. ‘Revenue grew 12% from Q1 to Q3’ is precise; ‘revenue grew’ is vague.
- Avoid vague terms. ‘A lot’ and ‘significantly’ are weak. Use approximate values.
- Write alt text at the same time. Same description, different placement.
Common mistakes
- Letting Copilot invent numbers. If the chart shows 12%, the description should say 12%, not ‘15%’ because Copilot guessed.
- Generic descriptions that work for any chart. If the description doesn’t reference the actual data, it’s useless.
- Forgetting alt text. Descriptions you wrote anyway should also be accessible.
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Get the Copilot Readiness Guide — $39 →FAQ
How do I write a chart description with Copilot?
Paste the chart’s underlying data into Copilot Chat and ask ‘Describe what this chart shows in 2-3 sentences, suitable for an executive slide.’ Copilot returns a clean caption. For the chart image itself, paste the screenshot — Copilot can interpret most charts visually.
Can Copilot describe a chart from an image?
Yes — Copilot Chat accepts image uploads and can describe what the chart shows. Accuracy is generally good for standard chart types (bar, line, pie) but verifies poorly on unusual visualisations. Always sanity-check the numbers Copilot references against the actual chart.
Why does Copilot describe my chart inaccurately?
Two main causes: the chart image is low resolution (Copilot misreads axes and labels), or the chart is unusual (Sankey, treemap, custom) and Copilot pattern-matches to a more common chart type. For mission-critical descriptions, provide the underlying data table rather than just an image.
What’s the best Copilot prompt for chart captions?
Specify three things: what the chart shows, the takeaway you want highlighted, and the audience. ‘Describe this chart in one sentence highlighting the gap between Region A and Region B for our executive team.’ Specific prompts produce captions you can ship; vague prompts produce captions that need rewriting.