12 Powerful Reasons to Use Excel Tables

Excel Tables are a powerful feature that can transform your data management and analysis processes. An Excel Table is not just any range of data with headings, but a specific Excel object that unlocks additional properties and functionality.

Contrary to a random set of data, Tables work as a cohesive unit, which can significantly enhance your Excel spreadsheet’s usability, shareability, and updatability. Here’s what a typical Excel Table looks like:

How to Identify an Excel Table

While Excel tables typically have a distinctive appearance with blue banded rows, this format can be customized. The most reliable way to identify an Excel Table is by selecting a cell within it. If it’s a Table, the Design tab will appear on the ribbon, offering Table-specific features:

Creating an Excel Table in Microsoft 365

Creating a Table in Excel is straightforward:

1. Select your data set.
2. Go to the Insert tab and click Table (or use the “CTRL+T” keyboard shortcut).
3. In the dialog box that appears, tick “My table has headers” if applicable.
4. Click OK.

After creation, it’s good practice to rename your Table using the Design tab. This name will be useful when referencing the Table in formulas or as a data source.

12 Compelling Reasons to Use Excel Tables

1. Easy Formatting

Excel Tables come with built-in formatting options that are easily customizable:

• Add or remove banded rows and columns from the Design tab.
• Change the Table Style using the Styles Gallery.

These formatting options allow for quick and dramatic changes to your Table’s appearance:

2. Persistent Column Headers

When scrolling through a large dataset, the Table’s column headers remain visible, ensuring you always know which column you’re working with:

3. Built-in Filters

Upon creation, Excel automatically adds filters to your Table, making it immediately ready for data analysis.

4. Automatic Expansion

Tables automatically expand to include new data added in adjacent cells, maintaining data integrity and consistency.

Pro Tip: Use the Table’s bottom-right handle to manually adjust its size:

5. Automatic Range Naming

Excel Tables automatically create named ranges for each column, enhancing formula readability and usability:

These named ranges follow a specific syntax:

• MyTable[Country]: All data in the “Country” column (excluding header).
• MyTable[@Country]: The “Country” value in the current row.
• MyTable[[#All],[Country]]: The entire “Country” column, including the header.

6. Easy Totals Addition

Add summary rows to your Table with a single click:

1. Go to the Design tab and check “Total Row”.
2. Customize the summary function for each column using the dropdown menu.

These Totals rows are dynamic, adjusting to data changes and filters automatically.

7. Consistent Formatting for New Data

When Tables expand to include new data, the formatting is automatically applied, maintaining a consistent look.

8. Automatic Formula Expansion

Formulas entered in one cell of a Table column are automatically applied to the entire column:

This feature ensures consistency and reduces the risk of errors when working with large datasets.

9. Dynamic Charts

Create PivotTables or PivotCharts directly from your Table data:

These charts automatically update when new data is added to the Table:

Before adding new data:

After adding new data and refreshing:

10. Automatic Named Range Adjustment

As your Table grows, named ranges automatically adjust, keeping formulas and references up-to-date.

11. Data Entry Forms

Enhance data entry with Excel Forms:

To add the Form button to your ribbon:

1. Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
2. Select “All commands” and “All tabs”.
3. Create a new group under the Tables tab.
4. Find “Form” in the left list and add it to your new group.

The Form button will now appear in your ribbon:

12. Slicers and Timelines for Enhanced Filtering

Use Slicers and Timelines to create interactive filters for your PivotCharts:

These tools allow users to easily filter data without understanding the underlying Excel functions.

Conclusion

Excel Tables are a powerful feature that can significantly enhance your spreadsheet’s functionality, readability, and usability. By leveraging these 12 key benefits, you can create more dynamic, user-friendly, and error-resistant Excel workbooks. Whether you’re building complex dashboards or managing simple datasets, Excel Tables should be an essential part of your toolkit.

💡 Excel Tables are a cornerstone of our proven methodology for building dynamic Excel dashboards.