Excel Pivot Table in 60 Seconds

A pivot table summarizes thousands of rows (totals by month, by region, by person) in a few clicks.

1. Clean data

One header row, no blank rows or merged cells.

2. Insert it

Click inside the data > Insert > PivotTable > New Worksheet > OK.

Insert > PivotTable > New Worksheet

3. Drag fields

Drag a category (Region) to Rows and a number (Sales) to Values. It sums automatically.

Rows: Region   Values: Sum of Sales

4. Refresh

Data changed? Right-click the pivot > Refresh.

Right-click > Refresh

FAQ

How do I show averages instead of sums?

Click the field in Values > Value Field Settings > Average.

Can I group dates by month?

Yes: right-click a date in the pivot > Group > Months.