How to Delete a Pivot Table in Excel: A 4-Part Quick Guide (PDF)

• Asking how to delete a pivot table? Heyyoo! Yes. Excel is a common used tool for data analysis. And pivot tables are one of its most powerful features. Because they are allowing us to summarize and analyze large datasets quickly. However, there might come a time when you need deleting a pivot table from your Excel workbook. Either because it is no longer needed or you are preparing to create a new one. Let’s learn now how to do it.

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Important Sections: how to delete a pivot table ?

1. Deleting a PivotTable in Excel: In order to delete a PivotTable, you should click inside the table, right-click and select Delete PivotTable. This action removes the table but keeps the original data.
2. Removing Grand Totals and Subtotals: For this, you should access the Design tab within the PivotTable Tools to turn off grand totals or subtotals.
3. Disconnecting PivotTable from Source Data: You can change the data source to a dummy range before deletion to sever the link between the PivotTable and its original data.
4. Disabling GETPIVOTDATA: You can prevent Excel from using the GETPIVOTDATA function for formula creation by unchecking the Generate GetPivotData option under the Analyze tab.
5. Converting PivotTable to Normal Table: Now, you should copy the PivotTable and use Paste Special > Values to paste it as a static table elsewhere. This converts the dynamic PivotTable into an editable table without Pivot functionalities.
6. Managing PivotTables in Google Sheets: Similar to Excel, but there are some differences in the process. Because Google Sheets allows for the deletion and management of PivotTables through right-click menus and the Delete or Backspace keys.

Understanding Pivot Tables: how to delete pivot table

How do I Delete a Total PivotTable in Excel?  Before learning deletion process, you should understand what pivot tables are and how they function within Excel. Pivot tables are interactive tables. And they enable us to group and summarize large datasets in a concise format. They provide insights and trends we cannot not see in raw data. If you learn how pivot tables are integrated into your Excel workbook, this will help you handle them.

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1. Selecting the Pivot Table

The first thing to do when deleting a pivot table is to find and select it in your workbook.

You should just click on any cell inside the pivot table you want to remove. This will activate the PivotTable Tools in the Excel ribbon. And it is letting you know you selected it. It’s a good idea to double-check that you’ve picked the right pivot table tough. Especially if there are several tables in your workbook.

2.  how to remove pivot table

How do I Delete a Total PivotTable in Excel?  Once you selected the pivot table, you can proceed to delete it. There are a couple of methods to accomplish this as below.

• Using the Right-Click Menu: You may right-click anywhere in the pivot table. In the context menu, you should look for options like Delete or Clear All. Selecting this will remove the pivot table from your workbook.
• Using the Excel Ribbon: Once you select Pivot table, you should go to the Analyze tab under PivotTable Tools. And now, you should look for the Actions group and find the Clear option. Clicking on Clear All will delete the entire pivot table.

3. Ensuring Complete Removal

After deleting the pivot table, you must check whether it has been completely removed from your workbook.

• Checking for Leftover Elements: In some instances, elements like calculated fields or blank rows/columns might remain in your sheet. If you find any of them, you need to select these remnants and delete them manually.
• Verifying Data Source Integrity: Also, you should check if deleting pivot table affected the integrity of your original data. The raw data should remain intact and unaffected.

4. Preventing Data Loss

Before you delete a pivot table, you may consider whether you might need it again in the future.

• Backup Your Data: It is always a good practice to create a copy of your workbook or the pivot table itself before deletion. In this way, you can restore it without having to recreate it from scratch.
• Consider Hiding Instead of Deleting: If you are unsure about permanently removing the pivot table, you may consider hiding the sheet or the table. This action keeps the pivot table out of sight but you can bring it back anytime.

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Best Practices for how to delete a pivot table in excel

• If you want to mange pivot tables without Erros, including when it comes to deleting them, you may keep a few best practices in mind.
• It is a good idea to regularly check in on the pivot tables in your workbooks to see if they are still needed. This helps keep everything tidy and clean.
• Also, organizing your workbook can make a big difference. We recommend you to keep your raw data and pivot tables on separate sheets. Because it makes easier to manage everything, including any deletions.
• And don’t forget about the undo limitations in Excel. Once a pivot table is deleted and you’ve done a few other things, you might not undo that deletion. So, it is always smart idea to double-check before selecting delete.

How to Manage PivotTables in Excel and Google Sheets

Managing PivotTables, modification or conversion is a must have skill for Excel and Google Sheets users.

How do I Delete a Total PivotTable in Excel?

If you want to remove grand totals or subtotals within a PivotTable, you can follow below steps.

1. Like other steps, you should click anywhere inside the PivotTable to activate Tools.
2. Then, you should go to the Design tab.
3. Now, you can click on Grand Totals (for totals at the bottom or right of the PivotTable) or Subtotals (for subtotals within the PivotTable).
4. Last step is to choose Off for Rows and Columns for Grand Totals or select Do Not Show Subtotals to remove them.

how to remove pivot table source file?

If you want to disconnect a PivotTable from its source data, here the steps below.

1. You should change the data source to a dummy or empty range in the Analyze tab (PivotTable Tools). Then you will Change Data Source and select a new range that doesn’t contain your actual data.
2. Now, without hesitation, you can delete the PivotTable as described above.

Ways to remove get pivot data from Excel

The GETPIVOTDATA function can be disabled to prevent Excel from creating formulas by itself.

1. You should click inside the PivotTable.
2. Then, you need to go to the Analyze tab under PivotTable Tools.
3. Now, simply you must uncheck the Generate GetPivotData option.

How do I convert a PivotTable to a normal table?

If you wanna convert a PivotTable to a standard table, you can do the below steps.

1. Differently from other ones, you should select the entire PivotTable.
2. Then, you need to copy the selected area (Ctrl + C).
3. Now, you can right-click on a new location or sheet and choose Paste Special > Values. This action pastes the PivotTable data as a static table.

how to delete a pivot table in excel in Google Sheets?

Deleting a Pivot Table in Google Sheets follows a similar but a simpler process actually.

1. Again, you should click on any cell within the PivotTable to select it.
2. Now, you need to do a right-click and look for a delete or clear option. Since Google Sheets might not have a direct Delete PivotTable option, you can press Delete or Backspace on your keyboard to remove the selected cells.
3. If necessary, you can use Edit > Clear > Clear All from the Google Sheets menu to remove any remaining cells.

With these steps, you can manage PivotTables in Excel and Google Sheets. For example, you can delete them entirely, remove specific elements like totals, disconnect them from their source data or convert them into normal tables. And also, practicing these how to delete pivot table steps in your actual workbooks will help you solve different scenarios.

Conclusion: how to delete pivot table from excel

Deleting a pivot table in Excel is not a complex process. After selecting the pivot table, deleting it and ensuring its complete removal, you can manage the pivot tables in your workbooks. Hence, implementing best practices for pivot table management can improve your Excel proficiency.