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Pivot tables · Basics
Recommended PivotTables
Excel suggests layouts for your data.
When to use it
Recommended PivotTables suggests several layouts for your data based on its columns. A quick start when you are not sure what to summarize.
The shape of it
- How
Insert, Recommended PivotTables, pick one, then adjust.
Worked examples
See suggestions
Click inside the data, Insert, Recommended PivotTables → Thumbnails of suggested pivots
Pick one.
Use one
Choose "Sum of Sales by Region", OK → That pivot on a new sheet
Then adjust.
Skip suggestions
Blank PivotTable at the bottom of the dialog → An empty pivot instead
Start from scratch.
Worth knowing
- Suggestions improve with clean headers and numeric columns.
- Analyze Data (Home tab) offers similar suggestions with natural-language questions.
- Treat the result as a starting point.
Where it goes wrong
- Suggestions are generic; the interesting cut is usually not listed.
- Not available for Data Model sources.
Related
Learn the moves here — or let Wauvel run them on your numbers.
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