what are pivots in excel

 what are pivots in excel

Pivots in Excel, also known as PivotTables, are a powerful feature that allows users to quickly summarize and analyze large amounts of data. PivotTables allow you to create a customizable table that summarizes data from a larger data set, making it easier to analyze and draw insights from the information.

To create a PivotTable in Excel, you first need to have a data set. This can be a range of cells or an external data source, such as a database or another spreadsheet. Once you have your data set, you can create a PivotTable by selecting the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon and then clicking on "PivotTable."

When you create a PivotTable, Excel automatically generates a table with several areas. These areas are:

• Rows: This is where you place the field or fields that you want to group the data by. For example, if you have a data set that includes sales data by region, you might place the "Region" field in the Rows area.

• Columns: This is where you place the field or fields that you want to display as columns in the PivotTable. For example, if you have a data set that includes sales data by year, you might place the "Year" field in the Columns area.

• Values: This is where you place the field or fields that you want to summarize or aggregate. For example, if you have a data set that includes sales data by product, you might place the "Sales" field in the Values area.

• Filters: This is an optional area where you can place fields that you want to use to filter the data in the PivotTable. For example, if you have a data set that includes sales data by product and you only want to see data for a specific product, you might place the "Product" field in the Filters area.

Once you have set up your PivotTable, you can customize it by adding or removing fields, changing the summary function (e.g., sum, average, count), and applying formatting. You can also use the PivotTable to create charts and graphs that display your data in a visual format.

In summary, PivotTables in Excel are a powerful feature that allows users to quickly summarize and analyze large amounts of data. PivotTables allow you to create a customizable table that summarizes data from a larger data set, making it easier to analyze and draw insights from the information. PivotTables are made up of several areas, including Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters, and they can be customized in a variety of ways to suit your needs.

Tweet

Read More..