Pivot tables are one of Excel’s most powerful features for summarizing data — but what if you want to pivot a pivot table?

Maybe you’ve built one pivot table for detailed analysis, and now you need to roll those results up again into a higher-level report. Or you’ve created a pivot table in one layout and want to reorganize it without touching the original data source.

In this guide, we’ll explain what “pivot a pivot table” means, why Excel doesn’t make it straightforward, and four different methods to make it happen. We’ll also cover related tips like creating a pivot table from another pivot table, pivot table to table conversion, and how to use Power Query for more advanced workflows.

What Does “Pivot a Pivot Table” Mean?

When Excel users talk about “pivoting a pivot table,” they usually mean one of two things:

  1. Creating a pivot table from the results of another pivot table
    • You want to use your first pivot table’s output as the data source for a new pivot table.
    • Example: Summarizing weekly sales data in one pivot, then creating another pivot to roll up those weekly totals into quarterly totals.
  2. Changing the layout of an existing pivot table
    • Rearranging row fields, column fields, and filters to see the data from a different angle without rebuilding the whole thing.

Why Excel Doesn’t Allow a Pivot from a Pivot Directly

By default, Excel won’t let you set another pivot table as the direct source for a new pivot table. This is because pivot tables store their data in a “pivot cache” that isn’t structured for re-pivoting.

But there are workarounds — and there’s also a more modern alternative: data cubes.

📌 For a deeper explanation of how cubes work and why they make reporting faster, check out our article: Introduction to Data Cubes.

Method 1 – Copy, Paste Values, and Create a New Pivot Table

This is the most straightforward way to create a pivot from another pivot.

Steps:

  1. Select your original pivot table.
  2. Copy it (Ctrl+C).
  3. Paste as values (Right-click → Paste Special → Values) into a new sheet or location.
  4. Select this pasted data.
  5. Go to Insert → PivotTable and create your new pivot table from it.

When to use it:

  • Quick, one-time reporting needs.
  • When you want to avoid linking to the original pivot cache.

Method 2 – Use the Pivot Table Wizard (Alt + D + P)

The old Pivot Table Wizard can still be accessed via keyboard shortcut.

Steps:

  1. Press Alt + D + P to open the wizard.
  2. Choose Multiple consolidation ranges.
  3. Select your pivot table’s cell range.
  4. Build your second pivot table.

Pros: Keeps everything dynamic if you choose to reference the original pivot table range.
Cons: Limited field naming and formatting control.

Method 3 – Use a Named Range with OFFSET

If your pivot table grows or shrinks, you can make a dynamic named range that always covers its output.

Steps:

  1. Select the pivot table output range and define it as a named range (Formulas → Name Manager).
  2. Use a formula like: =OFFSET(Sheet1!$A$3,0,0,COUNTA(Sheet1!$A:$A),COUNTA(Sheet1!$3:$3))
  3. Create a new pivot table using this named range as the source.

When to use it:

  • Your pivot table data changes often.
  • You want your second pivot to update automatically.

Method 4 – Power Query for Advanced Pivoting

For more complex needs, Power Query lets you load the pivot table’s results as a table, transform it, and create a new pivot table.

Steps:

  1. Select your pivot table and Copy → Paste Values into a new sheet.
  2. Load this pasted table into Power Query (Data → Get & Transform).
  3. In Power Query, reshape the data as needed.
  4. Load it back into Excel and create a new pivot table.

Pros: Automates refresh and transformation.
Cons: Requires a bit more setup.

Data Cubes – A Smarter Alternative

A data cube is a way of storing your data in multiple dimensions — for example, by Project, Month, Cost Type, and Region all at once.

Instead of being locked to a single flat table, data cubes let you:

  • Slice and dice across dimensions instantly
  • Drill down for detail or roll up for summaries
  • Create multiple pivots from the same source without the manual copy-paste step

With a cube, pivoting a pivot table isn’t really a separate step — you just create another view on the same cube.

📌 For a deeper explanation of how cubes work and why they make reporting faster, check out our article: Introduction to Data Cubes.

Example: Financial Reporting with Multiple Pivot Layers

Imagine you have a detailed pivot table showing revenue by Project → Month. Your CFO asks for a quarterly roll-up by Region.

Instead of going back to the raw data, you can:

  1. Copy the existing pivot table’s output as values.
  2. Create a new pivot table from it with Region in rows and Quarter in columns.
  3. Format and present — done in minutes.

If your data were in a data cube, this step would be even faster — you’d just create a new pivot view without touching the original.

📌 For a deeper explanation of how data cubes work in financial reporting faster, check out our article: Data Cubes in Finance 2025

When PivotXL Makes This Even Easier

All of the above methods work, but they’re manual.
With PivotXL, you can:

  • Store your financial data in a multi-dimensional cube format.
  • Build multi-level pivots without copy-paste steps.
  • Keep all pivots linked to live data.
  • Automate refreshes across multiple pivot layers.

If you often need to pivot a pivot table for reporting, PivotXL removes the manual work while keeping everything in Excel.