A PivotTable is a powerful tool to calculate, summarize, and analyze data that lets you see comparisons, patterns, and trends in your data. PivotTables work a little bit differently depending on what platform you are using to run Excel.
Create a PivotTable in Excel for Windows
Select the cells you want to create a PivotTable from.
Note
Your data should be organized in columns with a single header row. See the Data format tips and tricks section for more details.
Select Insert > PivotTable.
This creates a PivotTable based on an existing table or range.
Note
Selecting Add this data to the Data Model adds the table or range being used for this PivotTable into the workbook's Data Model. Learn more.
Choose where you want the PivotTable report to be placed. Select New Worksheet to place the PivotTable in a new worksheet or Existing Worksheet and select where you want the new PivotTable to appear.
Select OK.
PivotTables from other sources
By clicking the down arrow on the button, you can select from other possible sources for your PivotTable. In addition to using an existing table or range, there are three other sources you can select from to populate your PivotTable.
Note
Depending on your organization's IT settings you might see your organization's name included in the list. For example, "From Power BI (Microsoft)."
Get from External Data Source
Get from Data Model
Use this option if your workbook contains a Data Model, and you want to create a PivotTable from multiple tables, enhance the PivotTable with custom measures, or are working with very large datasets.
Get from Power BI
Use this option if your organization uses Power BI and you want to discover and connect to endorsed cloud datasets you have access to.
Building out your PivotTable
To add a field to your PivotTable, select the field name checkbox in the PivotTables Fields pane.
Note
Selected fields are added to their default areas: non-numeric fields are added to Rows, date and time hierarchies are added to Columns, and numeric fields are added to Values.
To move a field from one area to another, drag the field to the target area.
Refreshing PivotTables
If you add new data to your PivotTable data source, any PivotTables that were built on that data source need to be refreshed. To refresh just one PivotTable, you can right-click anywhere in the PivotTable range, and then select Refresh. If you have multiple PivotTables, first select any cell in any PivotTable, then on the ribbon go to PivotTable Analyze > select the arrow under the Refresh button, and then select Refresh All.
Working with PivotTable Values
Summarize Values By
By default, PivotTable fields placed in the Values area are displayed as a SUM. If Excel interprets your data as text, the data is displayed as a COUNT. This is why it's so important to make sure you don't mix data types for value fields. You can change the default calculation by first selecting the arrow to the right of the field name, and then select the Value Field Settings option.
Next, change the calculation in the Summarize Values By section. Note that when you change the calculation method, Excel automatically appends it in the Custom Name section, like "Sum of FieldName", but you can change it. If you select Number Format, you can change the number format for the entire field.
Tip
Since changing the calculation in the Summarize Values By section changes the PivotTable field name, it's best not to rename your PivotTable fields until you're finished setting up your PivotTable. One trick is to use Find & Replace (Ctrl+H) >Find what > "Sum of", and then Replace with > leave blank to replace everything at once instead of manually retyping.
Show Values As
Instead of using a calculation to summarize the data, you can also display it as a percentage of a field. In the following example, we changed our household expense amounts to display as a % of Grand Total instead of the sum of the values.
Once you've opened the Value Field Setting dialog box, you can make your selections from the Show Values As tab.
Display a value as both a calculation and percentage.
Simply drag the item into the Values section twice, and then set the Summarize Values By and Show Values As options for each one.
Insert a PivotTable
- Open a spreadsheet in Excel for the web.
- Select a table or range of data in your sheet and select Insert > PivotTable to open the Insert PivotTable pane.
- You can either manually create your own PivotTable or choose a recommended PivotTable to be created for you. Do one of the following:
- On the Create your own PivotTable card, select either New sheet or Existing sheet to choose the destination of the PivotTable.
- On a recommended PivotTable, select either New sheet or Existing sheet to choose the destination of the PivotTable.
Note
Recommended PivotTables are available only to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Change the source data
You can change the data source for the PivotTable data as you are creating it.
- In the Insert PivotTable pane, select the text box under Source. While changing the Source, cards in the pane won't be available.
- Make a selection of data on the grid or enter a range in the text box.
- Press Enter on your keyboard or the button to confirm your selection. The pane updates with new recommended PivotTables based on the new source of data.
Get from Power BI
Use this option if your organization uses Power BI and you want to discover and connect to endorsed cloud datasets you have access to.
Working with the PivotTable Fields pane
In the PivotTable Fields pane, select the check box for any field you want to add to your PivotTable.
By default, non-numeric fields are added to the Rows area, date and time fields are added to the Columns area, and numeric fields are added to the Values area.
You can also manually drag-and-drop any available item into any of the PivotTable fields, or if you no longer want an item in your PivotTable, drag it out from the list or uncheck it.
Working with PivotTable Values
Summarize Values By
By default, PivotTable fields in the Values area are displayed as a SUM. If Excel interprets your data as text, it is displayed as a COUNT. This is why it's so important to make sure you don't mix data types for value fields.
Change the default calculation by right-clicking any value in the row and selecting the Summarize Values By option.
Show Values As
Instead of using a calculation to summarize the data, you can also display it as a percentage of a field. In the following example, we changed our household expense amounts to display as a % of Grand Total instead of the sum of the values.
Right-click any value in the column you'd like to show the value for. Select Show Values As in the menu. A list of available values displays.
Make your selection from the list.
To show as a % of Parent Total, hover over that item in the list and select the parent field you want to use as the basis of the calculation.
Refreshing PivotTables
If you add new data to your PivotTable data source, any PivotTables built on that data source must be refreshed. Right-click anywhere in the PivotTable range, and then select Refresh.
Delete a PivotTable
If you created a PivotTable and decide you no longer want it, select the entire PivotTable range and press Delete. This won't have any effect on other data or PivotTables or charts around it. If your PivotTable is on a separate sheet that has no other data you want to keep, deleting the sheet is a fast way to remove the PivotTable.
Get started with PivotTables with Excel on the web.
Before you get started
- Your data should be organized in a tabular format, and not have any blank rows or columns. Ideally, you can use an Excel table.
- Tables are a great PivotTable data source, because rows added to a table are included automatically in the PivotTable when you refresh the data, and any new columns are included in the PivotTable Fields list. Otherwise, you need to either Change the source data for a PivotTable, or use a dynamic named range formula.
- Data types in columns should be the same. For example, you shouldn't mix dates and text in the same column.
- PivotTables work on a snapshot of your data, called the cache, so your actual data doesn't get altered in any way.
Create by using a Recommended PivotTable
If you have limited experience with PivotTables, or are not sure how to get started, a Recommended PivotTable is a good choice. When you use this feature, Excel determines a meaningful layout by matching the data with the most suitable areas in the PivotTable. This helps give you a starting point for additional experimentation. After a recommended PivotTable is created, you can explore different orientations and rearrange fields to achieve your desired results. You can also download our interactive Make your first PivotTable tutorial.
Select a cell in the source data or table range.
Go to Insert > Recommended PivotTable.
Excel analyzes your data and presents you with several options, as in this example using the household expense data.
Select the PivotTable that looks best to you and press OK. Excel creates a PivotTable on a new sheet and displays the PivotTable Fields list.
Manually create a PivotTable
Select a cell in the source data or table range.
Go to Insert > PivotTable.
Excel displays the Create PivotTable dialog box with your range or table name selected. In this case, we're using a table called "tbl_HouseholdExpenses".
In the Choose where you want the PivotTable report to be placed section, select New Worksheet, or Existing Worksheet. For Existing Worksheet, select the cell where you want the PivotTable placed.
Select OK, and Excel creates a blank PivotTable and displays the PivotTable Fields list.
Working with the PivotTable Fields list
PivotTable Fields list
In the Field Name area at the top, select the check box for any field you want to add to your PivotTable. By default, non-numeric fields are added to the Row area, date and time fields are added to the Column area, and numeric fields are added to the Values area. You can also manually drag-and-drop any available item into any of the PivotTable fields, or if you no longer want an item in your PivotTable, simply drag it out of the Fields list or uncheck it. Being able to rearrange Field items is one of the PivotTable features that makes changing its appearance so easy.
PivotTable Fields list
PivotTable Values
Summarize by
By default, PivotTable fields placed in the Values area are displayed as a SUM. If Excel interprets your data as text, the data is displayed as a COUNT. This is why it's so important to make sure you don't mix data types for value fields. You can change the default calculation by first selecting the arrow to the right of the field name, and then by selecting the Field Settings option.
Next, change the calculation in the Summarize by section. Note that when you change the calculation method, Excel automatically appends it in the Custom Name section, like "Sum of FieldName", but you can change it. If you select Number... , you can change the number format for the entire field.
Tip
Since changing the calculation in the Summarize by section changes the PivotTable field name, it's best not to rename your PivotTable fields until you're finished setting up your PivotTable. One trick is to select Replace (on the Edit menu) >Find what > "Sum of", and then Replace with > leave blank to replace everything at once instead of manually retyping.
Show data as
Instead of using a calculation to summarize the data, you can also display it as a percentage of a field. In the following example, we changed our household expense amounts to display as a % of Grand Total instead of the sum of the values.
Once you've opened the Field Settings dialog box, you can make your selections from the Show data as tab.
Display a value as both a calculation and percentage.
Simply drag the item into the Values section twice, right-click the value and select Field Settings, and then set the Summarize by and Show data as options for each one.
Refreshing PivotTables
If you add new data to your PivotTable data source, any PivotTables that were built on that data source must be refreshed. To refresh just one PivotTable you can right-click anywhere in the PivotTable range, and then select Refresh. If you have multiple PivotTables, first select any cell in any PivotTable, and then on the ribbon go to PivotTable Analyze > select the arrow under the Refresh button, and then select Refresh All.
Deleting a PivotTable
If you created a PivotTable and decide you no longer want it, you can simply select the entire PivotTable range, and then press Delete. This doesn't affect any other data or PivotTables or charts around it. If your PivotTable is on a separate sheet that has no other data you want to keep, deleting that sheet is a fast way to remove the PivotTable.
PivotTable on iPad is available to customers running Excel on iPad version 2.82.205.0 and above. To access this feature, please ensure your app is updated to the latest version through the App Store.
Create a PivotTable in Excel on iPad
- Select a cell in the source data or table range.
- Go to Insert > PivotTable.
- Choose where you want the PivotTable to be placed. Select Insert on new sheet to place the PivotTable in a new worksheet or select the cell where you want the new PivotTable placed in the Destination field.
- Select Insert.
Working with the PivotTable Field List
Typically, non-numeric fields are added to the Rows area, date and time fields are added to the Columns area, and numeric fields are added to the Values area. You can also manually drag-and-drop any available item into any of the PivotTable fields, or if you no longer want an item in your PivotTable, simply drag it out of the Fields list or uncheck it. Being able to rearrange Field items is one of the PivotTable features that makes changing its appearance so easy.
Note
If the field list is no longer visible, go to the PivotTable tab, swipe left, and select Field List to display the field list.
Refreshing PivotTables
If you add new data to your PivotTable data source, any PivotTables that were built on that data source must be refreshed. To refresh just one PivotTable you can select and hold on a cell anywhere in the PivotTable range, and then select Refresh. If you have multiple go to PivotTable tab on the ribbon and select Refresh.
Deleting a PivotTable
If you created a PivotTable and decide you no longer want it, you can select the rows and columns spanning the entire PivotTable range, and then press Delete.
