We make charts with date axis all the time. For example, lets say you want to plot the number of donuts consumed per month in a chart, like this:
2 things become quite obvious when you look at this chart,
- The year -09 and -10 repeating across bottom of axis is pure chart junk.
- Aww, dude. How many donuts do you eat!?!
Now, there is nothing much I can do about donut consumption. But I can tell you how to fix that axis so it looks a lot better, may be like this:
Interested? Follow this simple recipe:
- Process your data: Assuming your data looks like what I shown to left, just use simple formulas to make it look like the table to right. [related: how to work with dates & times in excel]
- Now, make a chart from the data. Use both year and month columns for axis label series.
- That is all. Excel shows nicely grouped axis labels on your chart.
Pretty simple, eh?
Download the Excel Chart Template
Click here to download excel chart template & workbook showing this technique. Play with the formulas & chart formatting to learn.
2 Bonus Tips:
1. This technique really works with just any types of data.
So you can just have Product Group & Product Name in 2 columns and when you make a chart, excel groups the labels in axis.
2. Further reduce clutter by unchecking Multi Level Category Labels option
You can make the chart even more crispier by removing lines separating month names. To do this select the axis, press CTRL + 1 (opens format dialog). From Axis options, un-check Multi Level Category Labels option.
How do you format date axis on charts?
Most of the times when I make charts with date axis, the axis has 12 or 13 months of data. So I knock off the year part completely. But in some cases, I end up making charts that show data from multiple years. Now, repeating year value across bottom is a waste of chart ink. So I tend to use the above technique to make the chart look much more professional.
What about you? How do you format date axis? Please share your ideas and experiences using comments.
More Charting Formatting Tips:
- How to change data labels in charts to whatever you want
- Making your chart legends look awesome
- Use paste special to Speed up chart formatting
- … More chart formatting tips
21 Responses to “Distinct count in Excel pivot tables”
The distinct count option works well but I have found that if I have a date field and want to group by year, month, etc. that option seems to be disabled. I need to do both, distinct count and group by year/month.
Example data; sales orders with item quantities with dates.
Challenge; sum the item quantities, count the distinct orders and group by month. How do I do this?
Perhaps that's not possible due to the grouping?
@Al... When you use data model based pivots, you cannot group values manually anymore. Why not use Excel 2016's default date grouping option? In this case we have just a few dates, so Excel is not grouping them, but if you have an year's worth of data, when you make the pivot with date in the row label area, Excel automatically groups them. If you have fewer dates or want to use your own grouping, just create a table with all dates, add columns with month, week, year etc. Then connect this table (these types of tables are usually called as calendar tables) to your data on date field as a relationship. Now you can create reports by month, quarter etc easily.
Is this the only way to do it in 2013? I find it rather cumbersome to have to create another data table listing dates with the another column for MONTH() and YEAR() to be able to summarise data for senior level...
I know people find adding calendar tables cumbersome, but it is a best practice and let's you add more layers of analysis quite easily. For example, adding analysis by weekday vs. weekend or by financial quarter or YTD calculations (you would need either Power Pivot DAX or some very carefully setup pivot table value field settings)
I had absolutely no idea this was possible. Very useful, nice work!
Doesn't work for 2010 version though (or at least not my works version)
Hi ,
The post has the following in it :
These instructions work only in Excel 2016, Office 365 and Excel 2013.
when i have 2 different Pivot tables, one without the enabled “Add this data to data model” option, and the other one with it enabled.. is there anyway i can link slicers between them?
if the answer is NO,, what to do ?
Quick note, the “Add this data to data model” option is not available for the Mac version.
perhaps outside scope of this article but I have found when I attempt to create a pivot table from an external data source (connection to a sql view) the "Add this data to data model" becomes greyed out. Anybody experienced and found a solution so I can start getting distinct count in my pivot tables?
Is there a way to still add a calculated field when using distinct count?
I found I can't change the date source after tick the " add this data to the data model", can you help to adv how to change the date source in such case?
Is there a way to update the source once you have added to the data model? I receive a new spreadsheet weekly and would like to update the connection so my tables pull from the new source.
Hi Crhis, I like how you have hulk (superhero) as your avatar. Do you know that there is a superhero in Excel too? It's Power Query. You can use it to solve your problem in a simple click. Here an intro if you need some guidance.
Powerful Introduction to Power Query
A big Thank you. It worked.
Hi, have survey data that I need to analyze but the challenge is that my key fields are showing horizontally. I tried to transpose the fields using Power Query, but unfortunately the new fields are returning same values on a pivot table despite using distinct values
How I can a do a pivot table with discount conts in some columns and then generate shor report filter pages. pls it drives crazy
Hi. Why grand total pivot of distinct count is 13? shouldn't it be 67?
Great Answer! Saved me lots of time!
Thank you!!!
Worked awesome! Thanks!!
Hi Chandoo,
I am using pivot tables for distinct count and now I need to update them with new set of data. But when I update the source data, all the columns and formatting of Pivot table disappears and I need to build it from Scratch.
Is there a possibility that I can update the source data with new rows added and also retain my pivot tables?