Let’s take a look. Here we have a simple pivot table and pivot chart already set up. As always, any change to the pivot table is reflected in the pivot chart, and vice versa. Let’s say we want to add a second chart using the same data. We can easily copy and paste the existing chart to another location to create another copy. And, if we just want to change something like chart type, we can do that without affecting the other chart. For example, we can change the 2nd chart to a Pyramid Chart or a Pie Chart However, any change to the fields, or to the filters, will affect the pivot table and both charts. This is because both charts are linked to the same pivot table. In some cases, this might be what you need. But if you want a second chart that is independent from the first chart, you need to create a new pivot table and chart. Let’s delete the second chart and try again. This time, we’ll select a cell in the data and then click the PivotTable button on the Insert menu. We’ll go ahead and put the chart on a new worksheet. Now, we can build a completely new pivot table with, say Total Sales, and Date, grouped by Year. The result is a pivot table and pivot chart that are independent of the original chart. If we check the original pivot chart and table, we can see that they are unchanged. If you ever want to verify the pivot table that a chart is linked to, right-click the chart and choose Select Data from the menu. The sheet and pivot table will be listed after the workbook name. And you can always verify a pivot table name by navigating to the Options tab and checking PivotTable Name, at the far left of the ribbon.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
