How to Refresh a Pivot Table in Excel

Tap a step to see it in order.

  1. Click any cell inside the pivot table

    Click inside the pivot table area you want to refresh.

  2. Click "Refresh" on the "PivotTable Analyze" tab

    In the Data group of the "PivotTable Analyze" tab that appears, click "Refresh."

  3. Confirm the updated values

    Check that anything added or changed in the source data now shows up in the pivot table.

  4. Turn on refresh-on-open (optional)

    Check "Refresh data when opening the file" under PivotTable Options β†’ Data so you do not have to click Refresh manually every time.

Editing the source data never updates the pivot table by itself

A pivot table is a snapshot, not a live view -- changing the numbers behind it does nothing until you refresh, so an outdated report can quietly stay on screen until someone remembers to click Refresh.

Refresh alone will not pick up new rows added past the original range

If you add rows below where the source range originally ended, a plain Refresh can miss them, because the pivot table still points at the old range. Basing the pivot table on an Excel Table, or manually updating the source through "Change Data Source," keeps new rows included automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

I refreshed, but the new rows I added at the bottom still are not showing up. Why?

Refresh only pulls in changes within the pivot table's original source range -- rows added past that boundary need "Change Data Source" to extend the range, or the source should be converted to an Excel Table first so new rows are picked up automatically.

Can I refresh every pivot table in the workbook at once?

Yes. On the "PivotTable Analyze" tab, click the arrow under "Refresh" and choose "Refresh All" to update every pivot table and pivot chart in the file in one step.