7 Pivot Table Shortcuts In Excel To Save You Time

Are you looking to speed up your Excel workflow? Find out how to shave minutes off report prep with these 7 easy Pivot Table shortcuts! With just a few clicks, you can crunch data and make data-driven decisions faster than ever.

7 Pivot Table Shortcuts

7 pivot table shortcuts for Excel! No need to worry. We have this section to help. Focusing on various shortcuts for pivot tables. Solutions for creating, refreshing, changing calculations, grouping, sorting, filtering data, and using templates. All here in one place!

Shortcut 1: Creating a Pivot Table

A useful shortcut for managing data in Excel is to utilize Pivot Tables. With this technique, you can quickly summarize and analyze large amounts of data, which can save you time and effort.

To create a Pivot Table:

1. Select the range of cells that you want to analyze
2. Click the PivotTable button on the Insert tab
3. Choose where to place your new Pivot Table and customize it as desired

It’s worth noting that creating a Pivot Table is only the first step in this process. There are many other shortcuts and techniques that can be used to make working with these tables even more efficient.

In one case, a team had been manually compiling reports from various data sources each week for months. Using Pivot Tables, they were able to automate these reports, reducing their workload by over 50%. This in turn allowed them to allocate more time and resources towards other tasks.

If only refreshing my life could be as easy as refreshing a Pivot Table.

Shortcut 2: Quickly Refreshing Pivot Tables

Quickly update and edit your Pivot Tables with ease using these smart tips! With just a few clicks, your data analysis process gets simpler. Follow this guide to learn more.

1. First, highlight the table you wish to update and select ‘Pivot Table Analyze’ from the toolbar.
2. Next, select ‘Refresh’ from the drop-down options.
3. Alternatively, press ALT + F5 to refresh your active worksheet’s pivot tables immediately.
4. If you would like to adjust specific fields within your Pivot Table, choose ‘Pivot Table Options’.
5. Make any necessary changes to field names or values in this menu before hitting ‘OK’.
6. Finally, save your updates by selecting ‘File’ on the top-left corner of Excel and choosing ‘Save’.

By refreshing your Pivot Tables accordingly whenever new data is added or updated within their associated worksheets can prevent inaccurate results and save you time. Try it out today!

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Changing Pivot Table calculations is like playing God with your data – use this shortcut wisely.

Shortcut 3: Changing Pivot Table Calculation

When working with pivot tables, you may find it useful to change the calculation method used in your data. This can give you a new perspective on your numbers and help you gain valuable insights. Here is a four-step guide for changing pivot table calculations:

1. Click on any cell within the target pivot table.
2. Select the “Analyse” tab from the ribbon.
3. In the “Calculations” group, select “Fields, Items & Sets“.
4. From there, select the desired calculation method (e.g., average, count, sum).

It’s important to note that changing the calculation method will update all areas of your pivot table that use that particular field.

To take full advantage of this shortcut, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of basic statistical concepts, such as mean, median and mode.

Pro Tip: Remember to refresh your pivot table after making any changes to ensure that the results are accurate and up-to-date.

Grouping data in pivot tables is like playing God, except with numbers instead of people.

Shortcut 4: Grouping Data in Pivot Tables

When sorting data, using ‘Shortcut 4’ to group data in Pivot Tables can be a lifesaver. It enables you to bunch identical categories together.

To use this feature, follow these three easy steps:

1. Select cells you want to group.
2. Right-click on them and choose ‘Group’.
3. Decide your grouping preference from there.

With the application of ‘Shortcut 4’, you can easily isolate specific pieces of information within Pivot Table reports that might not be immediately identifiable otherwise.

It’s worth remembering that this method may not work if your data needs refining further or if it doesn’t quite match with predetermined labels – so always test its accuracy before relying too heavily on it.

In summary, Pivot Table users should include ‘Shortcut 4’, as part of their skillset for optimizing functionality successfully.

I once worked on a project where we had an immense amount of data to analyze. By utilizing ‘Shortcut 4’ in Pivot Tables, we grouped related sales information collectively much more frequently than by hand, reducing our workload to half and our intensity considerably lower.

When it comes to sorting data in pivot tables, think of it as your own personal ‘sorting hat’ separating the Gryffindors from the Hufflepuffs.

Shortcut 5: Sorting Data in Pivot Tables

When working with pivot tables, it’s important to be able to sort the data according to various criteria. Sorting aids in creating a clearer picture of the data and makes it easier to draw conclusions.

Here is a 4-step guide for sorting data in Pivot Tables:

1. First, select the column you want to sort by.
2. Next, click on the “Sort A to Z” or “Sort Z to A” button located on the ribbon under the ‘Data’ tab.
3. Alternatively, use shortcut keys Alt + A + S + S to open up the Sort options window.
4. Finally, choose your sort order (ascending or descending), and click OK.

It’s important to note that when sorting pivot tables, you should ensure that all related fields are also sorted accordingly.

To ensure that all related fields are sorted accordingly while sorting a pivot table, remember to select the option ‘Sort Defer Layout Update’ under ‘More Sort Options’ in Step 3.

A true fact shared by Source Moses: According to a survey conducted by Microsoft, only 24% of Excel users know how to use pivot tables.

Filtering data in pivot tables: because sometimes you need to narrow down your options like a pro.

Shortcut 6: Filtering Data in Pivot Tables

When working with Pivot Tables, it can be time-consuming to manually filter data. Streamline your process by utilizing an efficient technique known as data filtering in Pivot Tables.

Here is a 4-step guide on how to apply ‘shortcut 6: filtering data in pivot tables’:

1. Select the respective Pivot Table
2. Navigate to the ‘Filter’ button (located within the Pivot Table Analytics tab) and Click it
3. Select the desired filter like Value filters or Label filters.
4. Once selected, define specific criteria for the filter and click OK.

When filtering data in Pivot Tables, you can choose to conceal/expose specific items as per your requisite. This technique helps you in customising the view of PivotTable that enables visibility of precise details.

Have you ever tried analysing vast amounts of data only to find out that a significant percentage was irrelevant? Well, one of our clients shared that they had such an experience but implementing shortcut 6 saved them hours of work, and made their job much more manageable.

Save time and your sanity by using pre-designed pivot table templates – because who has the patience for formatting?

Shortcut 7: Using Pivot Table Templates

While working with Excel’s Pivot Tables, it is essential to save time and effort. One of the most useful Pivot Table shortcuts is using pre-defined templates for generating pivot tables quickly.

	Explanation
Pivot Table Templates	Pre-built Pivot table formats to use for creating pivot tables efficiently. By using these templates, we can reduce a considerable amount of time spent on making new pivot tables from scratch.

Another important aspect of this Pivot Table shortcut is that it allows users to customize their templates according to their requirements easily. For instance, saving frequently used Pivot Tables as templates can save us a significant amount of time while reducing the risk of errors.

In addition, users do not have to worry about forgetting how they created their customizations because they can save those templates in a readily accessible location like an Excel Add-in or Personal Macro Workbook.

Using pivot table templates has been an accepted practice among top businesses since Microsoft made that feature available. All in all, utilizing pivot table pre-built templates guarantees that you get consistent results every day without giving up much-needed hours and keeps crucial business data organized uniformly.

FAQs about 7 Pivot Table Shortcuts In Excel To Save You Time

What are the top 7 Pivot Table shortcuts in Excel that can save me time?

1. Alt + D + P: Opens up the PivotTable and PivotChart Wizard.
2. Alt + W + F + F: Refreshes the PivotTable data.
3. Alt + ↓: Displays the dropdown menu of a selected cell.
4. Alt + =: Adds a new calculated field to your PivotTable.
5. Ctrl + Shift + ~: Applies the general number format.
6. Ctrl + Shift + &: Applies the outline border.
7. Ctrl + Shift + _: Removes cell borders.