Pivot Table Timeline

Timeline feature was first introduced in Excel 2013 and the good news is you can use it with a pivot table as well. It can be a game changer for you to filter dates in a pivot table.

Because the problem with default filter option is that it’s very hard to filter with months, quarters and years if you have simple dates.

But with a timeline filter is you don’t need to open the filter, again and again, you just do it with a single click. That’s why Microsoft has introduced the timeline filter option.

A timeline is just like a slicer, the difference is that the timeline only filters dates. So today in this post, I’d like to share with you simple steps to add a timeline filter to filter dates in a pivot table.

NOTE: Pivot Tables are one of the INTERMEDIATE EXCEL SKILLS.

Steps to Insert Timeline in Pivot Table

sample file

1. Select any of the cells from your pivot table.
   
2. Go to Pivot Table Tools → Analyze → Filter → Insert Timeline.
   
3. Click on insert timeline and you’ll get a pop-up box.
4. From the pop-up window, select the date columns which you have in your data.
5. Click OK.
   

Now you have a timeline filter in your worksheet and you can filter your pivot table with this.

Related: Excel Slicer

Components of a Timeline Filter

Following are some major components you can use to master timelines.

1. Clear Filters: You can use this button to clear all filters.
2. Time Level: From the time level option you can use four different time levels. You have days, months, quarters, and years to use as time level.
3. Timeline: Use the timeline to filter dates for the period you want. You can filter dates for days, months, quarters, and years. You also select more than a day, month, quarter & year but only in sequence.
4. Scrollbar: Use the scrollbar to get to scroll through the days, months, quarters, and years.

Customizing a Timeline

You also have options to customize your timeline. You can make the following changes in it.

1. Change Size

You can change the size of a pivot table timeline by using the following steps.

• Select your timeline.
• Go To Timeline Tools → Options → Size.
• Change the height and width of your timeline.

And another best way is to resize a timeline from its borders.

2. Change Caption Name

By default, it will show you the caption name same as your column name which you have selected to insert a timeline. But you can change it anytime by using the following steps.

• Select your timeline.
• Go To Timeline Tools → Options → Timeline → Timeline Caption.
• Enter a new name.
• Hit enter.

3. Apply Timeline Styles

Yes, you can use different styles for your timeline in the pivot table. There are total of 12 different theme styles you can use for the pivot table timeline.

You can also create a customized theme for your timeline by creating a new Timeline style.

You have the following options to customize in your timeline.

4. Link a Timeline with more than one Pivot Table

Like a slicer, you can also link a timeline with more than one pivot table. Just follow these simple steps to do that.

1. Select your timeline and right click on it.
2. Now, click on Report Connections.
   
3. Now, you’ll get a pop window with the list of pivot tables.
4. Tick mark the pivot tables which you want to link with the timeline.
   
5. And, click OK.

More on Pivot Tables

1. Connect Slicers to Multiple Pivot Tables
2. Create a Pivot Table with Multiple Workbooks
3. How to Ranks in a Pivot Table in Excel
4. Add Running Total in Pivot Table
5. Automatically Update a Pivot Table Range