Transform Your Pivot Tables: Display Text Values in Excel with Power Query

Published: 13 September 2022
on channel: Up4Excel
1,368
15

📗 Free template with queries here: »» https://cutt.ly/up4v2102M01FD
🎯 Pivot Tables can't show text results, so how did I get combined text into this one…find out here using this special technique. Get text results into your pivot table.

If you want to learn more about pivot tables then have a look at my pivot table tips playlist:
https://cutt.ly/Up4PivotTableTips

🕑 Video Timings:
00:00 What are we learning
00:43 Recommended Video
01:38 Pivot Tables won't pivot text
02:41 Power Query does the job
04:46 Remove your duplicate rows
06:20 Prepping your PowerQuery data
07:47 Turning tables into lists
09:41 Pivoting the list data
10:28 Your results as a linked table

📒 My inspiration for this video:
Excel University - PivotTable Text Values Alternative: »»    • PivotTable Text Values Alternative  

In this video, I show you how to solve a common problem in Microsoft Excel: getting text values, such as months, into a pivot table using Power Query. By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to create a pivot table that displays text values instead of just numerical data. I'll take you through the process step-by-step, explaining the methods and benefits along the way. This tutorial will save you time and enhance your Excel skills, making your data analysis more efficient and insightful.

Topics Covered:

1. Setting Up Data in Excel:
Learn how to organize your data in column format, preparing it for analysis. I demonstrate how to structure sales data into columns, with sales figures in one column and corresponding text data like months in another. This setup is crucial for creating meaningful pivot tables.

2. Understanding Pivot Table Limitations:
Discover why traditional pivot tables in Excel can't handle text values and the limitations of value field settings. I explain how trying to insert text into a pivot table results in a numerical summary, which doesn't meet our needs. This section highlights the necessity of using Power Query for text data.

3. Introduction to Power Query:
Get an overview of Power Query and how it can be used to manipulate and transform your data for more advanced pivot table functionality. Power Query is a powerful tool in Excel that allows you to clean, transform, and load data efficiently.

4. Creating a Table in Excel:
Understand how to convert your data range into a table using the Control T shortcut, ensuring proper data management. I walk you through naming your table, a step that helps in maintaining clarity and organization when working with large datasets.

5. Loading Data into Power Query:
Learn the steps to load your table into Power Query for further processing. This includes navigating to the "Data" tab and selecting "From Table/Range" to bring your data into the Power Query Editor.

6. Data Transformation with Power Query:
Follow along as I demonstrate how to use Power Query to remove duplicates, group data, and create unique rows. This involves highlighting columns, grouping by specific fields, and ensuring each row in your table is unique. These steps are essential for accurate data representation.

7. Using Custom Functions in Power Query:
See how to apply custom functions to extract specific columns from grouped data tables. I show you how to create a custom column using the Table.Column function to isolate and extract the month data, converting it into a list format.

8. Pivoting Data by Text Values:
Learn the final steps to pivot your data by text values, using Power Query to achieve a clean, organized result. I guide you through the process of pivoting by the newly created month column and setting the values to display as text, ensuring your pivot table reflects the correct information.

9. Refreshing Data for Live Updates:
Understand how to refresh your data to ensure your pivot table remains up-to-date with any new data entries. This includes a demonstration of how simple it is to refresh your Power Query connection, making sure your pivot table reflects the latest data without manual updates.

This tutorial is designed to provide clear, concise instructions that you can implement immediately. Avoiding unnecessary fluff, I focus on actionable steps and practical advice to help you achieve tangible results. Whether you're dealing with large datasets or just getting started with Power Query, this guide will equip you with the skills to solve real-world Excel problems efficiently.

By the end of this video, you'll not only know how to display text values in your pivot tables but also gain a deeper understanding of how to leverage Power Query for advanced data manipulation. Check out Jeff from Excel University's channel for the full solution and other valuable Excel tutorials. Thank you for watching, and I hope you find this video helpful in improving your Excel proficiency.


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