Planning Your Pivot Table
Taking time to plan before creating a Google Sheets pivot table ensures the most effective outcome.
Pivot Table Areas
All pivot tables have four distinct areas. Each area serves a specific purpose. Learning about these areas will help you plan and create a pivot table in Google Sheets.
The Row area displays data down the rows on the left side of the pivot table. This area is used for data that you want to categorize and group, such as products, names, or regions. It is possible for this area to contain no fields. The column area contains headings within the pivot table. The column area can help you discover trends over time. Google Sheets calculates and counts data in the Values area. Typically, you use this area for data you want to measure, such as sums, counts, or averages. You can opt to use the Filter area to create filters. When you select a data field in the Filters area, the entire pivot table is filtered based on this information.
Create the Pivot Table
Google Sheets can create a pivot table using your data. It may suggest one or more tables based on the data you provide. You can accept a suggestion to make an instant pivot table or create one manually.
Edit or Remove Data
You can change or remove the data that appears in a pivot table at any time.
When Should You Use a Pivot Table?
Pivot tables are powerful spreadsheet features that can summarize the data that is significant to your needs from a sizable datasheet. You can use the interactive pivot tables to explore a large amount of data and only extract what you need. If you have a massive amount of data and you only want to view a few data fields, a pivot table simplifies the process. You can summarize this data just as easily. You can create customized tables to find recurrent data patterns, which aids in accurate data forecasting. In addition, you can create custom reports efficiently.
