Pivot tables are very powerful analysis tools. They can summarize vast amounts of data with just few clicks. But they are lousy when it comes to output. Imagine the horror of putting a pivot table right inside your beautiful dashboard. One refresh could ruin the layout and create half-an-hour extra work for you.
How to combine the power of pivot tables with elegance of your dashboards?
The answer is: GETPIVOTDATA()
What is GETPIVOTDATA?
As the name suggests, GETPIVOTDATA gets pivot table data. The best way to understand GETPIVOTDATA is by looking at an example.
Let’s say, you have a pivot table like the one below. And you want to know what is the Amount for Cust Area = Middle & Prod Category = Biscuits combination.
The below GETPIVOTDATA formula should work.
=GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Cust Area”,”Middle“,”Prod Category”,”Biscuits“)
As you can see GETPIVOTDATA has below syntax.
GETPIVOTDATA(value field name, any cell reference in pivot table, [field name 1, value1, field name 2, value 2 …])
Few more examples of GETPIVOTDATA:
Check out below examples to understand how various parameters of the GETPIVOTDATA function behave:
| GETPIVOTDATA function | What it does | Value |
|---|---|---|
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Cust Area”,”South”,”Prod Category”,”Biscuits”) | Gets Amount for South & Biscuits combination | $609.50 |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Prod Category”,”Biscuits”) | Gets grand total for Biscuits | $5,251.10 |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Cust Area”,”South”) | Gets grand total for South | $4,342.20 |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3) | Gets grand total of all amounts | $41,828.00 |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$1,”Cust Area”,”West”,”Prod Category”,”Snacks”) | Gives an error as $A$1 is not part of the pivot | #REF! |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Cust Area”,$P$2,”Prod Category”,$P$3) | Gets Amount for cust area = P2 and pro category = P3 cell values. | depends on variables |
| =GETPIVOTDATA(“Amount”,$A$3,”Prod Category”,category_name) | Gets grand total for category = category_name value | depends on variables |
| =GETPIVOTDATA($P$4&””,$A$3,”Cust Area”,$P$2,”Prod Category”,$P$3) | Gets P4 value field for Cust Area = P2 and Prod Category = P3. Note: $P$4 &”” is used to convince GPD that P4 is a string not number. |
depends on variables |
Using GETPIVOTDATA in dashboards
The idea is simple. Since GETPIVOTDATA can be parameterized with variable cells or named ranges, we can use it in dashboards to get relevant data based on user input.
Sample this:
Or this dashboard powered with GETPIVOTDATA
Things to note when working with GETPIVOTDATA:
GETPIVOTDATA is a very useful function, but it does have a few quirks.
- If your pivot table has slicers linked to them, GPD will reflect the results based on slicer selection.
- If your pivot table has any items filtered (say category Biscuits is filtered out), then GPD will return #REF error when you try to get any value corresponding to Biscuits.
- If you change the pivot table structure, your GETPIVOTDATA functions may not work as you expect.
- If you turn off grand totals or sub-totals, you can no longer get them thru GPD.
- GPD requires that your original pivot tables remain intact and visible all the time.
- If you want to completely get rid of pivot tables and still get answers to questions, then you should use CUBE formulas along with Workbook data model feature (more on this in a future post).
- The best & easiest way to write GPD is by pressing = and referencing a cell inside the pivot. This will automatically write the GPD for you. You can then customize the parameters as you need.
- You can turn-off GPD by going to Pivot Table Analyze ribbon tab & unchecking “Generating GETPIVODATA” option from PivotTable options area.
Download GETPIVOTDATA Examples workbook
Please click here to download the GETPIVOTDATA example workbook. Refer to various tabs & formulas to learn more. Don’t forget to play with the dashboard powered by GETPIVOTDATA.
Learn more about Pivot Tables
If you are new to Pivot Tables, it’s high time you started using them. Check out below pages and get started.
- Introduction to Excel Pivot Tables – article , Podcast
- Comprehensive guide to Excel Pivot Tables
- Slicers – Introduction, what are they, advanced scenarios
- Building dashboards with Pivot Tables + Slicers
- Convert regular pivots to GETPIVOTDATA – 3 part tutorial from Mike Alexander, part 2 & part 3
How do you use GETPIVOTDATA?
Let me be honest. For my dashboards, I usually write direct cell references (=A7) instead of GPD. This keeps my formulas short. For dynamic / parameterized setups, I usually write INDEX / MATCH formulas that talk to Pivot Table data. But occasionally I use GETPIVOTDATA because it is very easy to setup and does what it says on the sticker.
What about you? How do you use GETPIVOTDATA? Please share scenarios in the comments section.
12 Responses to “Analyzing Search Keywords using Excel : Array Formulas in Real Life”
Very interesting Chandoo, as always. Personally I find endless uses for formulae such as {=sum(if(B$2:B$5=$A2,$C$2$C$5))}, just the flexibility in absolute and relative relative referencing and multiple conditions gives it the edge over dsum and others methods.
I've added to my blog a piece on SQL in VBA that I think might be of interest to you http://aviatormonkey.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/lesson-one-sql-in-vba/ . It's a bit techie, but I think you might like it.
Keep up the good work, aviatormonkey
Hi Chandoo,
You might find this coded solution I posted on a forum interesting.
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-programming/680810-create-tag-cloud-in-vba-possible.html
[...] under certain circumstances. One of the tips involved arranging search keywords in excel using Array Forumlas. Basically, if you need to know how frequent a word or group of keywords appear, you can use this [...]
@Aviatormonkey: Thanks for sharing the url. I found it a bit technical.. but very interesting.
@Andy: Looks like Jarad, the person who emailed me this problem has posted the same in excelforum too. Very good solution btw...
Realy great article
"You can take this basic model and extend it to include parameters like number of searches each key phrase has, how long the users stay on the site etc. to enhance the way tag cloud is generated and colored."
How would you go about doing this? I think it would need some VB
Hi,
I found the usage very interesting, but is giving me hard time because the LENs formula that use ranges are not considering the full range, in other words, the LEN formula is only bringing results from the respective "line" cell.
Using the example, when I place the formula to calculate the frequency for "windows" brings me only 1 result, not 11 as displayed in the example. It seems that the LEN formula using ranges is considering the respective line within the range, not the full range.
Any hint?
@Thiago
You have to enter the formula as an Array Formula
Enter the Formula and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Not just Enter
Thank you, Hui! I couldn't work out how this didn't work
is there a limit to the number of lines it can analyse.
Ie i am trying to get this to work on a list of sentances 1500 long.
@Gary
In Excel 2010/2013 Excel is only limited by available memory,
So just give it a go
As always try on a copy of the file first if you have any doubts
Apologies if I am missing something, but coudn't getting frequency be easier with Countif formula. Something like this - COUNTIF(Range with text,"*"&_cell with keyword_&"*")
Apologies if I missed, but what is the Array Formula to:
1. Analyze a list of URL's or a list of word phrases to understand frequency;
2. List in a nearby column from most used words to least used words;
3. Next to the list of words the count of occurrences.