Pivot Table Group By Month

What Is Pivot Table Group By Month?

he group-by-month function in pivot tables enables users to organize their data by months, which can be particularly helpful when dealing with time-based data. By grouping the data by month, one can easily identify trends or patterns over some time. This feature also facilitates data aggregation within each month, allowing users to obtain relevant metrics such as average values or totals for each month.

As shown below, we will use Pivot Table to enhance our data analysis. This powerful tool enables us to create a concise daily summary report, facilitating the extraction of monthly and yearly insights in two ways.

We will first explore adding the months and years from the date column. Let’s start by inserting two additional columns and labeling them “Month” and “Year” respectively. Next, we will insert a Pivot Table by selecting the relevant data. Drag and drop the “Year” and “Month” columns into the ROWS area and the “Sales” column into the VALUES area. This action will generate a Pivot Table that closely resembles the example below.

What Is Pivot Table Group By Month?

Pivot table group by month option is an invaluable feature in Excel that enables users to determine the total data based on monthly values effortlessly.
This method facilitates the calculation of monthly totals and provides a concise summary of sales figures.
The results can be conveniently viewed within the pivot table, allowing for a comprehensive data analysis.
To calculate the month, we can utilize the formula =TEXT(value, format_text).
Similarly, the year can be calculated using the formula =YEAR(serial_number). These formulas provide a straightforward approach to extracting the desired information from our data.

How To Use Pivot Table Group By Month? (With Steps)

Follow the below steps:

First, open the Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset we wish to explore.
Next, select the entire dataset, click “Insert” from the menu bar, and then choose “PivotTable.”
Now, a new window will appear where we can customize our pivot table.
Next, drag the column containing dates into the “Rows” section of the pivot table field list.
Now, locate the column with numerical data that needs to be grouped by month and drag it into the “Values” section.
To group this data by month, right-click on any date listed in the row labels and select “Group.”
In the grouping window, choose “Months” and uncheck any other options, like days or years, if necessary.
Finally, click OK to generate a dynamic pivot table that conveniently groups our data by month, allowing for insightful analysis of trends or patterns within different periods.

Examples

Example #1 – Group Dates By Months

For example, we have prepared sample data; this data encompasses two years, specifically 2022 and 2023, daily. To analyze the sales monthly and yearly, we need to summarize this data and extract the month and year from the dates.

Step 1: Firstly, let’s insert the Pivot Table and apply it, as shown below.

Example 1 - Step 1 - insert the Pivot Table and apply it

Step 2: The PivotTable provides a daily summary report, allowing us to derive the month and year differently. Initially, we will explore how to add the months and years from the date column.

Step 3: To begin, insert two additional columns and label them “Month” and “Year” respectively.

Step 4: Now, insert a Pivot Table by selecting the data.

Step 5: Next, drag and drop the “Year” and “Month” columns into the “ROWS” area and the “Sales” column into the “VALUES” area. This will generate a Pivot Table resembling the one below.

Step 6: As a result, our report will now resemble the one shown below.

Example #2 – Group Dates In The Pivot Table

To group PivotTables by dates, please follow the steps shown below:

Step 1: First, insert the Pivot Table, as shown in the example below.

Step 2: Next, right-click on any cell within the “Date” column and select the “Group” option from the menu.

Step 3: Now, a window showing the following information will appear.

Step 4: Then, within this window, automatic dates will be pre-selected, starting from a specific date and ending at another.

Step 5: To group the dates by month, choose the “Group By” option as “Months” and click “OK.” The resulting Pivot Table will then be shown below.

Step 6: Once we have made the necessary adjustments, click “OK.” This will generate a new Pivot Table similar to the one below.

Important Things To Note

Users can transform raw and unorganized data into concise and meaningful reports with a few simple clicks, making it an indispensable feature for anyone involved in data analysis or reporting.
Tracking sales performance, monitoring project progress, or analyzing website traffic using the group-by-month feature in pivot tables provides valuable insights and enhances decision-making capabilities.
In Excel, it is possible to group dates and time values. However, it is essential to determine the specific type of grouping required.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the benefits of grouping data by month in a pivot table?

It simplifies the analysis of time-based data by providing a clear and
organized view of information every month.

For example, we will now use a Pivot Table to enhance our data analysis capabilities. This powerful tool empowers us to generate a concise daily summary report, facilitating the extraction of valuable monthly and yearly insights in two distinct ways.

We will add the months and years from the date column. Let’s insert two additional columns and label them “Month” and “Year” respectively. Next, insert a Pivot Table with relevant data. Drag and drop the “Year” into the “COLUMNS” area, “Month” columns into “ROWS” area, and the “Sales” column into the “VALUES” area. This simple action will creata a Pivot Table that resembles the example below.

2. Are there any limitations to grouping data by month in a pivot table?

• Pivot tables can only group dates at the same level of detail as they exist in the source data.
• Another limitation is that pivot tables cannot handle non-date values when grouping by month.
The grouping operation will fail if non-date values are mixed with the dates, such as text or numbers.

3. What common mistakes or issues may arise when working with pivot tables and grouping by month?

• One common mistake is formatting the date column properly before creating the pivot table. This can lead to inaccurate results or incorrect grouping by month.
• Another issue is overlooking discrepancies that may occur when grouping by month, especially if the underlying data includes timestamps rather than dates.
• Failing to update or refresh the pivot table after changing the data source can also cause problems, as it may not reflect the latest updates or additions.

Download Template

This article must help understand the Pivot Table Group by Month examples. We can download the template here to use it instantly.

Pivot Table Group by Month Download

Pivot Table Group By Month

What Is Pivot Table Group By Month?

Table of contents

Key Takeaways