Pivot Tables are an incredibly powerful tool when analyzing large, complex data sets. It can be difficult to see or understand patterns or even begin to comprehend the analysis possible within large data sets. Pivot tables to the rescue! Pivot tables are tables composed of columns and rows that can be moved around (pivoted), allowing you to group, isolate, expand and aggregate your data in various ways, and in real time.
While there are functions that can complete a lot of the same analysis, pivot tables are powerful because they allow for more seamless comparison and allow you to view data from various angles. Pivot tables lead to deeper and often more interesting insights. Pivot tables are helpful because they:
Are easy to create and can be made quickly
Provide instant data creation
Summarize large sets of data
Help recognize data patterns
We will go over the very basics of Pivot Tables here. There are many different applications beyond what is outlined below.
To set up a Pivot Table:
Select all the data that you want to be available in your Pivot Table. Be sure to include column headings.
Click Insert -> Pivot Table
You can either insert the Pivot Table on a New Sheet (the automatic option) or choose a location on another sheet where you want the Pivot Table to live. In this example, we will create a new sheet.
To the right of your Google Sheets window, you should see a Pivot table editor sidebar. This sidebar displays the following:
The range of cells on which the pivot table is based
Some suggestions for pivot tables based on your data
Options to customize your pivot table according to your requirement. This includes 4 insert options:
Rows
Columns
Values
Filters
To find out more about customizing Pivot Tables, please check out this helpful link.