Excel Pivot tables make data analysis and visualization easy. With the help of these advanced pivot table skills, you can create powerful data analytics and reports.
Table of Contents
#1 - One Slicer, Two Pivots
Slicers are visual filters. You can filter a pivot table or chart by adding a slicer on any field. Do you know that you can link slicer to more than one pivot table? Yes, this advanced usage of slicers makes it handy to update multiple reports with one click.
To link multiple pivot tables to same slicer:
- Right click on the slicer and select “Report connections”
- Check pivot tables that you want to connect.
- Done.
You can use the same approach to link multiple pivot tables with a timeline too.
Here is a video tutorial explaining this trick.
#2 - Distinct Count
We can easily get count, sum, average and median from our data with Pivot Tables. But what about distinct counts? You can use data model feature of Pivot tables to get distinct count.
To get distinct count in pivot tables:
- Select your data and go to insert pivot table screen.
- On that screen, enable “Add to data model” option.
- Click ok to insert pivot table.
- Add the field you want to distinct count to the value field area of the pivot table.
- Go to value field settings and select summarize by “Distinct count”
Here is a video explaining the process.
#3 - Value and Percent in same Pivot
Let’s say you are looking at a pivot report detailing total sales by region. You want to know how much each region’s sales are as a percent of total sales too. That is you want both value and percent in the same report?
Simple, just add the sales field to values area again and this time use “show value as” feature to display number as % of column total.
Here is a video explaining this trick.
#4 - Layout Tricks
By default pivot tables are in compact layout. But you can change the layout, appearance and position of fields to create completely new reports. In this video tip, I will show you several powerful layout ideas to try next time you are making a pivot table.
#5 - Two Tables, One Pivot
We can all create pivot reports from single tables or ranges of data. What if you need to create a pivot from data that is in two or more tables? You can use “Data Model” feature of Excel to connect multiple tables and create pivots from them. This technique opens up doors for advanced data analysis with ease.
To create pivot reports from multiple tables,
- Set up your data as tables. If the data is in ranges, simply create tables from them using CTRL+T or Insert > Table option. [Related: Introduction to Excel Tables]
- Set up relationships to create data model: Imagine one table of your data as Sales information and other table has Customer information. You can link them up. To set up the relationship, just go to Data ribbon and click on relationship button. [Related: Introduction to Excel Relationships]
- Insert a pivot table: Go ahead and insert a pivot table from any of your tables. Make sure check the “Add to data model” option at the bottom of insert pivot screen.
- Create pivots from multiple tables. Now you can mash-up fields from any table to create complex business reports easily.
Here is a video summarizing the whole process with few demoes.
#6 - Two Files, One Pivot
You already know how to make a pivot from data in one file. How about creating a pivot with data from multiple files? You can use Excel Power Query to connect to multiple files and fetch the data. We can then load this data in to “Data model” and create pivot tables from it easily.
To make pivot tables from data in multiple files:
- Use “Get & Transform data” option in Excel data ribbon to connect to your source data files. These can be either spreadsheets or database tables or web pages etc.
- Load data in to data model from Power Query so that Excel can access this data.
- Insert Pivot Table from the data model
[Related: Introduction to Power Query]
Watch this video to understand how to make pivots from multiple files.
#7 - Top 10 Filter
By default Pivot Tables will show all of your data. What if you want to limit the information to just top 10 records. For example, you want to see which of the sales persons are top 10 in a given region? You can use value filters to easily set up such conditions.
To set up top 10 value filter:
- Create your pivot table so that all data shows up.
- Go to filter on the row (or column label) area. Select Value filter > top 10
- Set up the criteria for filtering. You can switch to “Bottom” to see bottom 10 values too.
Here is a video explaining the process of top 10 filtering.
#8 - Measures & DAX with Power Pivot
Excel Data Model is not just for connecting multiple tables and pivoting them. Here is a secret: You can use data model to create power pivot reports too. You can apply extra calculations with DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) syntax. These calculations are called measures.
[Related: What is Power Pivot?]
Here is a quick lesson on DAX & Measures for Excel.
#9 - Grouping Data
Let’s say you have Sales data at daily level, but you want to see totals (or averages) by month. You can use grouping feature of Excel pivot tables to quickly aggregate data to monthly or quarterly or yearly level.
While grouping is a powerful feature of Excel pivot tables, it is not universal. If you have a data model driven pivot, then you have limited grouping choices available (dates can be grouped, but other fields won’t work).
In this trick, I will share two techniques for setting up grouping in Pivot tables to address these concerns.
#9.1 - Grouping Data without Data Model
If your pivot tables are not from data model, you can group any fields.
- Dates can be grouped in to days / months / quarters / years
- Numbers can be grouped by chunks
- Text can be grouped by selecting items on the report
Here is a video detailing grouping options for non-data-model pivots.
#9.2 - Grouping Data WITH Data Model
If your pivot tables are part of data model, then you have limited grouping choices. In Excel 365 / 2019,
- You can group by dates
In all other versions of Excel
- You cannot group by on any field.
The best option for all versions of Excel is to create additional tables and link them up in the data model to mimic grouping behavior. This can be done easily with the help of Power Query.
In this video, I will show you few options to generate groupings from data using Power Query.
#10 - Conditional Formatting for Pivots
You may already know about Excel Conditional Formatting. But do you know that similar rules can be applied to Pivot Tables too?
Yes, conditional formatting for pivots can make them pretty and presentable. My favorite types of CF for Pivots are,
- Heatmaps (colorscales)
- Databars
- Icons
It is very easy to add conditional formatting to a pivot report. Just follow below steps.
- Select any cell with value field for which you want to apply conditional formatting.
- From Home > Conditional Formatting, apply the format you want.
- Initially, the rule will be applied only to the selected cell, But Excel will show a prompt giving choices to change the region. Select the last option (unless you want CF for grand-totals too).
Here is a video explaining some conditional formatting tricks for Pivot Tables.
#11 - Interactive Pivot Charts
You can turn any Pivot Table into a chart easily. With the power of Slicers and Timelines, you can quickly create interactive charts in Excel. Such charts provide intuitive and awesome experience to your users.
To create an interactive pivot chart:
- Create a regular pivot chart (you can add one from a pivot table or create a pivot chart directly from your data)
- Add a slicer or timeline
- Now the chart will change every-time you interact with the slicer.
Here is a video explaining how to create and use interactive pivot charts.
#12 - Dashboard with Pivot Tables
Dashboards provide complete overview of a business in one view. However, they are usually complex and tricky to create. But we can use Power Query Excel Data Model, Measures, Pivot Tables, Slicers and Pivot Charts to create business dashboards quickly.
Here is a call center dashboard built using all the advanced pivot table tricks you have seen so far.
How to create a dashboard with Pivot Tables
- Identity information goals for your dashboard and list them down.
- Create a mock-up (rough sketch) of your dashboard on paper or paint.
- Gather all the necessary data and set up data model (use Power Query if needed)
- Calculate the numbers using Pivot Tables (and simple formulas if needed)
- Insert a worksheet for the dashboard and place items on it by linking them to the pivot tables.
- Add necessary charts, conditional formats
- Insert slicers / timelines as needed.
- Include key messages + alerts as needed.
- Format everything.
While this process may look simple, it requires a fair bit of thought and execution. I created a detailed video explaining the steps and construction for our call center dashboard. Please watch it below to understand everything.
Resources + Next Steps
Downloads
Please click here to download the files for advanced pivot tables page. In the download (zipped file), you will find 4 workbooks:
- For non-data-model pivot table tricks – adv. pivot table tricks – 1
- For data model pivot table tricks + dashboard – adv. pivot table tricks – 2
- Refer to the two files in “Data for Power Query” folder for sample data.
Resources for more Pivot Table goodness
Pivot Tables make data analysis and reporting easy. In this page, I have covered a heap of techniques. But if you are hungry for more, check out below pages too.
Beginner:
- Pivot Table from multiple tables – Data Model & Relationships
- Number and Percentages in same Pivot
- 5 Pivot tables to try when you have too much data
- Sub-totals but only on one level
- Distinct count in Excel Pivot Tables
- How to use Report Filters
Intermediate & Advanced Users:
- All you need to know about Slicers
- Introduction to GETPIVOTDATA
- Getting started with Power Pivot – Percentage of something calculation example
Recommended Websites & Books:
These are my favorite places to learn more about Pivot Tables.
Websites:
- Excel Pivot Tables page on Contextures
- 101 Advanced Pivot Table tips on HowtoExcel
- 50 things you can do with Pivot Tables from MyExcelOnline
Books:
- Excel Pivot Table data crunching by Bill Jelen
- MS Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling by Wayne Winston
- Excel Bible by J Walkenbach
Next Steps
If you found these examples and tips on Advanced Pivot Tables useful, you will love my online Excel Training Program. In this comprehensive, step-by-step course, you will learn below topics:
- Power Query for data management
- Tables & formatting
- Formulas for data analysis
- Relationships & Pivots
- Charting & Advanced story telling
- Time saving tips & tricks
- Pro user techniques
- Dashboard Reporting
If all of this sounds exciting, please check out Excel School program page for more information & sign up today.
12 Responses to “29 Excel Formula Tips for all Occasions [and proof that PHD readers truly rock]”
Some great contributions here.
Gotta love the Friday 13th formula 😀
Great tips from you all! Thanks a lot for sharing! bsamson, particularly you helped me on a terribly annoying task. 🙂
(BTW, Chandoo, it's not exactly "Find if a range is normally distributed" what my suggestion does. It checks if two proportions are statistically different. I probably gave you a bad explanation on twitter, but it'd be probably better if you fix it here... 🙂 )
Great compilation Chandoo
For the "Clean your text before you lookup"
=VLOOKUP(CLEAN(TRIM(E20)),F5:G18,2,0)
I would like to share a method to convert a number-stored-as-text before you lookup:
=VLOOKUP(E20+0,F5:G18,2,0)
@Peder, yeah, I loved that formula
@Aires: Sorry, I misunderstood your formula. Corrected the heading now.
@John.. that is a cool tip.
Hey Chandoo,
That p-value formula is really great for a statistics person like me.
What a p-value essentially is, is the probability that the results obtained from a statistical test aren't valid. So for example, if my p value is .05, there's a 5% probability that my results are wrong.
You can play with this if you install the Data Analysis Toolpak (which will perform some statistical tests for you AND provide the P Value.)
Let's say for example I've got two weeks of data (separated into columns) with the number of hours worked per day. I want to find out if the total number of hours I worked in week two were really all the different than week one.
Week1 Week2
10 11
12 9
9 10
7 8
5 8
Go to Data > Data Analysis > T-Test Assuming Unequal Variances > OK
In the Variable 1 Box, select the range of data for week 1.
In the Variable 2 Box, select the range of data for week 2.
Check "Labels"
In the Alpha box, select a value (in percentage terms) for how tolerant you are of error.
.05 is the general standard; that is to say I am willing to accept a 95% level of confidence that my result is accuarate.
Select a range output.
Excel calculates a number of results: Average (mean) for each week's data, etc.
You'll notice however that there are two P Values; one-tail and two-tail. (one tail tests are for > or .05), the number of hours I worked in week two is statistically equivalent to the number of hours I worked in week one.
So here’s a way you might want to use this. You put up a new entry on your blog. You think it’s the best entry ever! So you pull your webstats for this week and compare it to last week. You gather data for each week on the length of time a visitor spends on your website. The question you’re trying to prove statistically is whether there’s an average increase in the amount of time spent on your website this week as compared to last week (as a result of your fancy new blog post). You can run the same statistical test I illustrated above to find out. Incidentally, it matters very little to the stat test whether the quantity of visitors differs or not.
Anyhow, the Data Analysis toolpack doesn't perform a lot of stat tests that folks like me would like to have access to. In those cases I have to either use different software, or write some very complicated mathematical formulas. Having this p-value formula makes my life a LOT easier!
Thanks!
Eric~
Fantastic stuf..One line explanation is cool.
Thanks to all the contributors
OS
Take FirstName, MI, LastName in access (you can fix it to work in excel) capitalize first letter of each and lowercase the rest and add ". " if MI exists then same for last name:
Full Name: Format(Left([FirstName],1),">") & Format(Right([FirstName]),Len([FirstName])-1),"") & ". ","") & Format(Left([LastName],1),">") & Format(Right([LastName],Len([LastName])-1),"<")
I teach excel, access, etc etc for a living and i have my access students build this formula one step at a time from the inside out to show how formulas can be made even if it looks complicated. Yes I know I could just do IsNull([MI]) and reverse the order in the Iif() function but the point here is to nest as many functions as possible one by one (also I illustrate how it will fail without the Not() as it is)
Extract the month from a date
The easiest formula for this is =MONTH(a1)
It will return a 1 for January, 2 for February etc.
if in a column we write the value of total person for eg. 10 if we spent 1.33 paise each person then how we get total amount in next column and the result will in round form plzzzzz solve my problem sir................... thank u
@Anjali
If the value 10 is in B2 and 1.33 paise is in C2 the formula in D2 could be =B2*C2
If the values are a column of values you can copy the formula down by copy/paste or drag the small black handle at the bottom right corner of cell D2
kindly share with me new forumulas.
How to convert a figure like 870.70 into 870 but 871.70 into 880 using excel formula ? Please help.