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Pivot tables · Advanced
Pivot charts
A chart wired to the pivot that changes as you filter, group, or rearrange it.
When to use it
A pivot chart is wired to a pivot: filter, group, or rearrange the pivot and the chart follows. Slicers drive both.
The shape of it
- How
Click the pivot, PivotTable Analyze, PivotChart, or Insert, PivotChart from raw data.
Worked examples
Chart a pivot
Click the pivot, PivotTable Analyze, PivotChart, Clustered Column → A chart of the pivot
Instant visual.
From raw data
Insert, PivotChart from raw data → Pivot and chart created together
From scratch.
Hide buttons
Right-click the chart, Hide All Field Buttons → Cleaner chart
For dashboards.
Worth knowing
- Column fields become series; row fields become categories.
- Slicers connected to the pivot control the chart.
- Chart formatting survives refresh better than cell formatting.
Where it goes wrong
- Too many row items make an unreadable chart; filter to top N.
- Pivot charts cannot be scatter charts.
Related
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