Excel PivotTable Field List Tips

The Excel PivotTable field list automatically appears in the task pane on the right-hand side of the Excel window when any cell or cells in the PivotTable are selected:

Tip: If you can’t see the field list > right-click any cell in the PivotTable > Show Field List:

Or select any cell in the PivotTable > PivotTable Analyze tab > Field List:

Resize the PivotTable Field List

You can make the PivotTable Field List pane bigger or smaller by hovering your mouse over the left-hand edge until the pointer turns into a double headed arrow, then left-click and drag:

You can also increase or decrease the size of the fields and areas sections by hovering your mouse over the grey line, as shown below, and left-clicking and dragging:

Move the PivotTable Field List

If the field list is taking up too much room, you can turn it off via the PivotTable Analyze tab > Field List, or right-click the PivotTable and choose Hide Field List.

Or you can move it to a new location; hover your mouse over the PivotTable field list header until the pointer changes to a four headed arrow:

Then left-click and drag it to a new location. The field list becomes an object that hovers on top of the workbook. See animated image below:

Change PivotTable Field List Layout

The cog icon in the top right of the field list has options for changing the PivotTable field list layout:

By default, the fields section and areas sections are stacked. The second option, Fields Section and Areas Section Side-By-Side is good when working with a lot of fields as it allows you to see a longer list on the left-hand side:

I’ll let you explore the other settings as they’re self-explanatory.

Search and Sort Field List

Notice you can also change the field sort order from the default ‘Data Source Order’ to A to Z. If you have a lot of fields, you might find sorting them by A to Z makes it easier to work with.