How to Create a Pivot Graph in Excel
The ability to "pivot" data around central variables is a powerful component in the Microsoft Excel tool set. A spreadsheet usually contains just rows and columns of data. Often, this data must be analyzed to make conclusions about trends or projects. Excel provides many different tools for such analysis, but pivot tables and their associated graphs are particularly robust measurements of data relationships. While the pivot system in Excel is often thought of as intimidating, with some patience anyone can learn this effective method for understanding spreadsheet data.
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Instructions
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Open an Excel spreadsheet that contains data you wish to analyze.
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Click on any cell that contains data.
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Click the "Data" menu at the top of the Excel window.
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Choose the "PivotTable and PivotChart Report" feature listed in the "Data" menu. A pop-up window will appear.
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Select the "PivotChart" option in the second section of the pop-up window. A PivotChart creates a graph to accompany pivot data created by this PivotTable Wizard. All such graphs are always created in conjunction with a PivotTable.
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Press the "Next" button.
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Verify that the data range specified in this new step corresponds to the data on the spreadsheet. Excel will attempt to guess where your data is stored. Usually, this estimation is correct. However, gaps in your data may confuse Excel. If the data range is incorrect, click in the "Range" field then drag with your mouse to select the entire set of data on your spreadsheet.
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Press the "Next" button.
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Click the "Layout" button to structure the pivot data.
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Drag the column and row buttons from the right side of the Layout window onto the miniature layout displayed in the middle of the screen. Excel automatically pulls the existing row and column labels from your spreadsheet and displays them as buttons in this window. To pivot data between two data types, drag the relevant buttons into the "Row" and "Column" headings in the layout field.
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Press the "Finish" button. Excel will generate two new worksheets in the document. One will contain a PivotTable, the other a PivotChart which graphs the pivot information.
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Click on the PivotChart worksheet to display the graph of the pivot data.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not be intimidated by the unusual display of data on the pivot reports. Many users are immediately confused by the new representation of data and do not allow themselves a few moments to study the relationships. Once it becomes clear what the graphs represent, this process may be repeated to create new pivot graphs using the same data. Pivot around different rows or columns to see more interesting relationships.
