Transposing data involves reorienting your data by converting rows to columns and columns to rows. This technique is useful for reorganizing data to meet specific analysis, reporting, or presentation requirements.

Table of Contents

• Method 1 – Paste Special
• Method 2 – TRANSPOSE function
• Method 3 – Power Query

Let's explore each of these methods in detail.

Download the Excel Workbook below to follow along and understand How to Transpose in Excel –

download excel workbookTranspose-in-Excel.xlsx

Method 1 – Paste Special

Transposing data in Excel can be achieved effortlessly using the “Paste Special” feature. Consider the sales data below, where:

• Rows indicate various smartphones (Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Google).
• Columns indicate different months (January, February, March).

To rearrange this data so that rows represent months and columns represent smartphones, follow these steps to transpose and convert rows to columns and columns to rows:

STEP 1: Select the sales data table and navigate to Home > Copy.

STEP 2: Move to the destination cell for the transposed data.

STEP 3: Navigate to Home > Paste > Paste Special.

STEP 4: In the Paste Special dialog box, choose Transpose and click OK.

The transposed data will appear in cell G1.

This approach is quick and user-friendly, ideal for smaller datasets. It's beneficial when you want the transposed data to remain independent from the original data.

Method 2 – TRANSPOSE Function

In the previous approach, the transposed data is fixed and does not reflect changes made to the original data. By using the TRANSPOSE function, you can connect the original data with the transposed data.

Here’s how to use the TRANSPOSE function in Excel:

STEP 1: Navigate to the destination cell for the transposed data.

STEP 2: Input the TRANSPOSE function.

STEP 3: Specify the range argument, in this case, A1:E11.

Your data will be transposed accurately.

This method is advantageous when you need the transposed data to automatically update with changes in the original dataset. For example, if you modify the sales figure for Xiaomi in January to 1500 in the original data (i.e., B5), the transposed data will also update (i.e., K2).

Method 3 – Power Query

Power Query offers a robust and versatile method for managing large datasets, including transposing data. Here’s how to transpose data using Power Query:

STEP 1: Choose the sales data and go to Data > From Table/Range.

STEP 2: In the dialog box, click OK.

In the Power Query Editor, your data will be displayed as a table.

STEP 3: Navigate to Transform > Use Headers as First Row.

STEP 4: Navigate to Transform > Transpose.

This will convert rows to columns and columns to rows.

STEP 5: Navigate to Transform > Use First Row as Headers.

The first row will then serve as the header.

STEP 6: Navigate to Home > Close & Load.

The transposed data will be shown in a new worksheet.

In summary, Excel's TRANSPOSE feature is an essential tool for data analysts and professionals involved in data manipulation.

This article has offered a thorough guide on three methods for transposing data in Excel – the straightforward Paste Special option, the dynamic TRANSPOSE function, and the versatile Power Query.

Explore more about Power Query with our 50 Things You Can Do With Excel Power Query.

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