4: Google Sheets Query PIVOT
The Google Sheets QUERY function with PIVOT is a powerful tool for dynamically reshaping and analyzing your data without the need for manual pivot tables. It allows you to summarize data by categories (dimensions) while aggregating numerical data (metrics), all within a formula. Here's a detailed overview to help you get started:
Purpose of Using QUERY with PIVOT
• Data Summarization: Quickly condense large datasets by organizing data based on specified categories.
• Real-Time Updates: Formulas update dynamically as the data changes, which is useful for live dashboards or regularly updated sheets.
• Customizable Views: You can add filters, sorting, and specific aggregations, creating a highly customized summary table.
Syntax
=QUERY(data, "SELECT columns PIVOT column_to_pivot [aggregation function]", [headers])
• data: The cell range containing the data.
• columns: Columns to select and display in the output.
• column_to_pivot: The column with values you want to transform into column headers.
• aggregation function: Functions like SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX, etc., which summarize data.
Benefits of Using PIVOT with QUERY
• Flexible Filtering and Sorting: More flexibility in applying filters and sorting compared to static pivot tables.
• Direct Integration with Other Functions: You can use QUERY results with other functions like ARRAYFORMULA or IMPORTRANGE for more complex reporting.
• Efficient Data Management: Enables efficient handling of large datasets, making it easier to get a summarized view without creating additional pivot tables.
Tips for Effective Use
• Always specify clear column names in your SELECT statement to avoid ambiguity.
• Experiment with multiple aggregations to get insights from different perspectives.
• Use the LIMIT clause to restrict the output if you need a quick overview without overwhelming details.
Using the PIVOT clause one can convert rows into columns, and vice versa, as well as aggregate, transform, and group data by any field.
Note: the columns that you mention in the SELECT clause must be present in either the GROUP BY clause or as part of the aggregation function (e.g. avg, count, max, min, sum).
Google Sheets Query PIVOT without GROUP BY example
=query('data from Airtable'!A:L,"select sum(G) Pivot E")
Sample Dataset : Google sheet
Google Sheets Query PIVOT with GROUP BY example
=query('data from Airtable'!A:L,"select C, sum(G) Group BY C Pivot E",1)
'data from Airtable'!A:L – the data range to query on
"SELECT C, SUM(G) Group BY C Pivot E" – the string returns a PIVOT table which has the names of burgers (column E) in the heading row, and the list of customers (column C) as the main column, showing which burgers customers bought and how much they paid (column G).
