How to Insert a Pivot Table in Microsoft Excel

See Microsoft Excel: Tips and Tricks for similar articles.

The following steps show how to insert a pivot table. A pivot table is an interactive table that can be used to analyze, organize, and summarize large amounts of data. Pivot tables make it easy to rearrange data, quickly displaying it in different ways. Before inserting a pivot table, make sure the data you want to analyze is in an organized table and that your data includes a header row, no empty rows or columns, and no subtotals.

This feature works the same in all modern versions of Microsoft Excel: 2010, 2013, and 2016.

  1. Select any cell in the set of data you want to analyze.
  2. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click the PivotTable command, then select PivotTable. PivotTable
  3. In the Create PivotTable dialog box, verify that Excel has selected the correct range, select where you want the pivot table to show up (you will almost always want to select New Worksheet), and click OK. Create PivotTable Dialog Box
  4. In the PivotTable Field List, which opens up on the right (left in Excel 2007/2010) of the worksheet in which your pivot table will be located, drag and drop fields from your data into the Report Filter (Page fields go here), Column Labels (Column fields go here), Row Labels (Row fields go here), and Values (Data fields go here) boxes. PivotTable Fields
    • In the image below, fields have been dragged into the boxes as the first step in creating a report. Field Example
  5. Excel assumes you want to sum the values of the Data field (the field in the Values box). To perform a different calculation such as Count or Average:
    • Click the field name and select Value Field Settings. Value Field Settings
    • Select the calculation you want to perform and click OK. Select Calculation
  6. To change the format of the numbers in the pivot table:
    • Click the field name and select Value Field Settings. Value Field Settings
    • Click Number Format. Number Format
    • In the Format Cells dialog box, select the number format category, the number of decimal places to show, and whether or not to display a comma (if applicable), then click OK. Format Cells Dialog Box
    • In the Value Field Settings dialog box, click OK. Value Field Settings Dialog Box

Related Articles

  1. Use Excel 365 to create a Sorting Hat and House Point Scoreboard
  2. How to Use the VLOOKUP Function in Microsoft Excel
  3. How to Group and Ungroup Data in a List in Microsoft Excel
  4. How to Use the Fill Handle in Microsoft Excel
  5. How to Record a Macro in Microsoft Excel
  6. How to Use the Quick Analysis Tool in Microsoft Excel
  7. How to Format Numbers in Microsoft Excel
  8. How to Add Shapes in Microsoft Excel
  9. How to Quickly Name Multiple Single Cells in Microsoft Excel
  10. How to Insert a Slicer in a Pivot Table in Microsoft Excel
  11. How to Create a Pivot Table Timeline in Microsoft Excel
  12. How to Insert a Chart in Microsoft Excel
  13. How to Set Locale in Microsoft Excel
  14. How to Convert a List to a Table in Microsoft Excel
  15. How to Use the LEFT and RIGHT Functions in Microsoft Excel
  16. How to Add a Macro to the Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Excel
  17. How to Insert Clip Art in a Microsoft Excel Worksheet
  18. How to Select a Range of Cells in Microsoft Excel
  19. How to Use Smart Lookup in Microsoft Excel
  20. How to Split the Worksheet Window in Microsoft Excel
  21. Microsoft Excel 2016 Isn't Much Different from Excel 2013 or Excel 2010
  22. How to Accept and Reject Changes in Microsoft Excel
  23. How to Insert a Pivot Table in Microsoft Excel (this article)
  24. How to Use Ink Equations in Microsoft Excel
  25. How to Create a Formula That Spans Multiple Microsoft Excel Worksheets
  26. How to Use the CONCATENATE Function in Microsoft Excel
  27. How to Set Tracking Options in Microsoft Excel
  28. How to List Day Names in Excel without Dates
  29. How to Freeze Panes in Microsoft Excel