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Pivot tables · Basics
Source data shape
Pivots need one header row and one record per row: no merged cells, no subtotals, no blank header cells.
When to use it
Pivots need one header row and one record per row: no merged cells, no subtotal rows, no blank header cells, no month columns across the top. Fix the shape before pivoting.
The shape of it
- How
Unpivot cross-tab data with Power Query (select the columns, Transform, Unpivot) before pivoting it.
Worked examples
Unpivot months
A cross-tab with months across the top: select the month columns in Power Query, Transform, Unpivot Columns → A tall table with Month and Value columns
Unpivot.
Remove subtotals
Delete subtotal rows and merged headers from an export → A clean table
Manual cleanup.
Fix headers
Fill blank header cells and Ctrl + T → A Table that pivots correctly
Headers required.
Worth knowing
- Power Query records the cleanup so the next export is one refresh away.
- Blank rows inside the data split the pivot source.
- Numbers stored as text land in Values as Count.
Where it goes wrong
- Merged cells cause "cannot create a pivot" errors.
- Totals rows in the source get double counted.
Related
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