Hi Sammie,
Please upload a sample file, we cannot see what you did in that file to be able to help.
Thanks

Thank you, I truly appreciate any insight you could provide!

Hi Sammie,
In Data Validation sheet, the tblDV table is the source for Transaction categories, there should be no dropdown here. Remove the dropdowns and manually adjust to the categories you need.

In Transactions sheet - Sub-Category column, there is a dropdown related to Data Validation sheet - sub-category column, this is where you choose a sub-category for each record in transactions. The other 2 columns: Category and Category Type are using formulas to bring the corresponding fields from tblDV:

=XLOOKUP([@[Sub-category]], TblDV[Sub-category],TblDV[Category],"")

You can use VLOOKUP if XLOOKUP is not available in your excel version:
=VLOOKUP([@[Sub-category]],TblDV,2) (these 2 columns should not be formatted as Text for formulas to work)

Hi Catalin, I can't thank you enough for your response, it was very helpful! I reformatted the data validation sheet to remove the drop downs as you've mentioned, then attempted to perform the vlookup with your instructions along with following Mynda's video. It's almost as if the Transaction sheet name is off a bit possibly, however I cannot confirm that to be the case. The reason I mention that is because I'm using the formula =VLOOKUP([@[Sub-category]],TblDV,2) because I'm using a newer version of Excel (Office Pro Plus 2019), however I'm receiving #NAME? in the Category field.

I searched the web for this error and I've learned that I may have the name of the transaction table sheet wrong, however I'm unsure.

Thank you again for your advice, I appreciate it more than you know.

Hi Sammie,
Manually type the table name:
it should be TBLDV, my guess is that instead of lower case "L" you have upper case "i"

Catalin, it worked!! Thank you, now working to fill in the category type, however since I manually put in the formula, I don't quite understand how to replace Category with Category type :(.

Once that is complete, I'm wondering how would you update the data in the sheet to reflect on the analysis and Dashboard?

Again, I can't thank you enough for your help, you've been a life saver!

In this formula:
=VLOOKUP([@[Sub-category]],TblDV,2) , 2 represents the second column - Category
Replace with 3 to get the third column - Category Type:
=VLOOKUP([@[Sub-category]],TblDV,3)
How to update data depends on how you get the data, in the file you have data is manually typed or pasted. Easiest way, if you have external data, to use Power Query to bring that data into the file.

That makes sense, thank you for explaining! Now all columns are displaying the appropriate category.

As for the data, it was pasted into the transactions sheet under Mynda's original format. I'm not quite sure how to update what we have in the "new" transactions with the analysis and dashboard..

I guess you did not discovered yet the Refresh button?
After you paste your data in Transactions sheet, go to Data tab in ribbon and press the Refresh All button. That is all you need to do to update the reports.

Yes, and thank you. I've been trying the refresh all button for a week now, however I'm encountering an error (Cannot change part of an array), therefore the data doesn't update. I looked on the internet to see if I could find a resolution with no luck.

you have an array formula somewhere where the results are spilled over multiple cells, one of the pivots are trying to expand over those cells. Make sure there is enough room for pivots to expand, they cannot overlap one over another or over array formula cells.