Formatting and refresh Updated November 2026

Pivot chart

Click in the pivot, open PivotTable Analyze, PivotChart, choose a chart type and click OK. The chart is linked to the pivot: filtering, sorting or refreshing the pivot changes the chart, and the field buttons on the chart filter the pivot in return.

Syntax

PivotTable Analyze > PivotChart > Column / Bar / Line > OK; PivotChart Analyze > Field Buttons > Hide All

Part	What it is
`Chart type`	Column, bar, line, pie and most others; scatter and some combos are not available
`Field Buttons`	Gray filter buttons on the chart; hide them under PivotChart Analyze
`Axis (Categories)`	Fed by the Rows area
`Legend (Series)`	Fed by the Columns area

Examples

Rows: Months. Values: Sum of Revenue > PivotChart > Line

Result: A revenue line by month that updates when new months are added and refreshed.

Rows: Region. Columns: Product. Values: Sum of Units > PivotChart > Clustered Column

Result: A cluster of bars per region, one bar per product, with a legend of products.

Sort the pivot largest to smallest > PivotChart > Bar

Result: Bars ordered best region first (reverse the axis order under Format Axis if you want the top at the top).

Common mistakes

The chart shows totals as a giant extra bar: the Grand Total is not charted, but subtotals are not either; if you see one, you have a calculated item in the pivot.
You cannot make a scatter chart: pivot charts do not support XY scatter; copy the pivot as values and chart that.
The chart changes when a colleague filters the pivot: that is the link; create a separate pivot for the chart if you need independence.

Practice Pivot chart

These drills check your answer on live data, free, no account needed.

Revenue by monthShow total Revenue for each month of 2025.
Best region firstShow total Revenue by Region, sorted so the region with the highest revenue is at the top.

Questions

How do I make a chart from a pivot table in Google Sheets?

Select the pivot table and use Insert, Chart. The chart reads the pivot's cells and updates as the pivot updates.

Can I remove the pivot and keep the chart?

Copy the chart, paste as a picture, or Paste Special as values for the data; a pivot chart itself always needs its pivot.

SlicersInsert a slicer to filter a pivot table with clickable buttons, connect one slicer to several pivots with Report Connections, select several items, clear it.
Sort a pivot tableSort a pivot table largest to smallest by a value, A to Z by label, or in your own order by dragging rows. More Sort Options and why a sort does not stick.
Group dates by month, quarter and yearGroup a date field in a pivot table by months, quarters and years with right-click, Group, and get year by month breakdowns. Auto grouping, ungrouping, weeks.