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Excel Pivot Table Icons - Are They Reversed? - Episode 2251

2,648 views · Published 9 November 2018 · 6:04 · Indexed 10 October 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2018 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: How to remember the pivot table row and column icons.

The icons for Rows & Columns in the Pivot Table Field List are backwards. They've been backwards for quite some time. Unless, it is actually a garden hose, spraying data across the top of the report… Thanks to Nicole in Appleton for that memory aid!

Also in this Friday episode: Classic Pivot Table layout, Blank Cells no longer cause a Count instead of a Sum.

To download this workbook: https://www.mrexcel.com/download-center/2018/11/the-excel-data-hose.xlsx

Welcome to episode 2251 of the MrExcel podcast, where we dive into the world of Excel pivot tables and uncover a surprising mistake that has been overlooked for years. If you're new to pivot tables, you may find the pivot table field list to be intimidating. But fear not, because in this episode, I'll show you a simple trick to make it less daunting. And if you enjoy this video, don't forget to subscribe and hit that bell icon to stay updated with our latest content.

During my travels for seminars, I often come across this common mistake in pivot tables. It's something that has been bugging me for a long time and I finally decided to write a letter to the Excel team about it. To my surprise, I received a response from a team member who had just returned from sabbatical and agreed that the icons for rows and columns in the pivot table field list were indeed reversed. But little did I know, there was a different perspective on this mistake that I discovered during one of my seminars in Appleton, Wisconsin.

As it turns out, the reversed icons may not be a mistake after all. One of the attendees at my seminar pointed out that the icons actually represent a garden hose spraying data across the top or down the right-hand side of the report. While this may seem like a crazy explanation, it's always interesting to see different interpretations of things. But for those of us who have been using pivot tables for a long time, the reversed icons have been a source of frustration. And I'm happy to announce that the Excel team has finally fixed this issue.

But that's not all, in this episode, I also discuss another issue that has been fixed by the Excel team. It's the problem of blank cells in the revenue or sales column causing a count instead of a sum in the pivot table. This has been a long-standing issue and it's great to see that the Excel team is continuously working on improving the software. So, if you want to learn more about pivot tables and other Excel tips and tricks, be sure to check out my book "Power Excel with MrExcel". And don't forget to download the workbook from today's video by visiting the link in the YouTube description. If you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next episode of the MrExcel podcast."

Buy Bill Jelen's latest Excel book: https://www.mrexcel.com/products/latest/

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction to Pivot Table Icons
(00:27) The incorrect icons for columns and rows
(01:03) The story behind the incorrect icons
(02:09) The correct icons for columns and rows
(03:44) The issue with blank cells in pivot tables
(04:49) The issue being fixed
(05:16) Wrapping up and additional tips
(05:53) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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