How to Format Pivot Tables in Google Sheets

Formatting pivot tables in Google Sheets allows you to present your data in a more organized and visually appealing manner. To format pivot tables in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Create a pivot table: Click on any cell within your data set, then go to Data > Pivot table. This will create a new sheet with the pivot table.
2. Configure your pivot table: Use the Pivot table editor panel on the right side of the screen to select the rows, columns, and values you want to summarize in your pivot table. You can also add filters to refine your data.
3. Format cells: Click on a cell or range of cells within the pivot table and use the formatting toolbar at the top of the screen to apply different formatting options, such as text color, cell color, font style, and size.
4. Format numbers: Right-click on a cell or range of cells containing numbers, and choose "Format cells." You can then select the number format you want to apply, such as currency, percentage, or date.
5. Adjust column width and row height: Hover your cursor over the line separating columns or rows in the pivot table, and click and drag to adjust the width or height.
6. Apply conditional formatting: Select a range of cells within the pivot table, then go to Format > Conditional formatting. You can apply color scales, single color formatting, or custom formulas to format the cells based on their values.
7. Merge cells: To merge cells in the pivot table, select the cells you want to merge, right-click, and choose "Merge cells." This can be helpful for creating custom headers or labels within the pivot table.
8. Add borders: Select the cells you want to apply borders to, then click on the border icon in the formatting toolbar. Choose the type of border and the color you want to apply.

Example

Let's say you have a data set of sales information, and you want to create a pivot table to summarize the sales by product category and month.

1. Create a pivot table by selecting any cell within your data set, then go to Data > Pivot table.
2. In the Pivot table editor, add "Product Category" to Rows and "Month" to Columns.
3. Add "Sales" to Values and choose the aggregation type (e.g., SUM).
4. Apply formatting to the pivot table:
   • Format the header row with bold text and a background color.
   • Format the sales values as currency.
   • Adjust column widths and row heights for better readability.
   • Apply conditional formatting to the sales values to highlight high and low sales with a color scale.

Your formatted pivot table will provide a clear and visually appealing summary of your sales data by product category and month.