Instantly, you'll see the first column populate with all the names of your clients (free of duplicates). There are a few ways of doing this (e.g., click the checkmark next to the Client Name title from the sidebar, click the dropdown at the end of the Client Name section and select Add to Row Labels), but the best way to proceed is by using the drag-and-drop feature.Ĭlick and hold on the Client Name field, drag it to the Rows section in the bottom half of the sidebar, and release it. We'll start by adding the Client Name field to the Rows section. Now that we know what kind of report we're building, let's start the process by first adding the rows. The Filter option will help us filter only the data from the year 2017 and will hide everything else. The Value, or the computation we want to get from the cells related to Client Name and Project Type, is total amount billed (the sum of the Amount Billed column). Here, our basic row and column data is Client Name and Project Type, respectively. The Rows and Columns will help you build the basic two-dimensional data from which you will calculate the third dimension of values. This analysis is built from four parts and it will cover all four sections in the pivot table fields: rows, columns, values, and filters. In this case, we're looking for four things. To start, here's the analysis we're going to do as an example from the demo sheet:įor each of our clients, across different project types, how much did we bill in 2017? Beyond that, you'll learn how to use these tools as we go along. Don't want a field in a box anymore? Drag it out, and it disappears. You add a field to an area simply by dragging it there. The process of building a pivot table in Excel Online uses drag and drop functionality. Then, select all cells that contain data, and from the toolbar, select Insert > PivotTable. Before starting, make sure that all the columns at the top of your sheet are properly named.
The first thing we need to do is to turn the raw, flat data into a pivot table. So load up the demo sheet, and follow along below. The best way to learn complex tools is by using them. Step 6: If you only want to display values that meet certain criteria, use the Filters section. Step 5: In the Values section, select the fields that have the values you want to add or calculate. Step 4: In the pivot table editor, drag the rows and columns that you want to summarize to the appropriate box. Step 3: From the pop-up, select New Worksheet and click OK. Step 1: Open the Excel Online sheet and select all cells containing the data you want to look at. Here's a quick overview of how to use pivot tables (we'll dive deeper in the next section). How to Create a Pivot Table in Excel Online That means that you won't have to create a new spreadsheet for each analysis-you can use the same data and manipulate it in the pivot table to get new insights each time. A pivot table can be used to analyze an unlimited variety of data. Using a pivot table, you can do just that.Īnd that's just a simple example. For example, you might want to see how much money you spent on rent and utilities in the last quarter. To gain more insight and meaning from the data, you need to see it dynamically. This is what is called a flat data-all you're seeing is a sea of rows and columns. At the end of the year, when you sit down to review, you're going to have a tough time sorting through hundreds of entries. Let's say you diligently log all your expenses across the whole year in a single spreadsheet. That's where a pivot table comes in-it filters and summarizes your data based on criteria of your choosing. And when you lose track of the data, you lose track of the meaning behind it. When spreadsheets start expanding beyond a few rows and columns, it becomes difficult to keep track of the data. The examples in this tutorial come from that demo sheet, and you can use it to experiment further once you're ready. You can use our demo sheet to practice: Open the sheet in Excel Online, and click Save to OneDrive to start working on your own copy. Here, we'll walk you through how to create a pivot table in Excel Online. Excel Online makes it easy to create pivot tables that will help you summarize your data and give you more insight into what your raw numbers mean. Spreadsheets are great for cataloging large pools of data, but it takes a feature like pivot tables to really draw conclusions from the data.