Merge and Manipulate Multiple Excel Sheets like a Pro

September 28, 2023 by Madeleine Moucheron

Working with multiple Excel sheets is common for many spreadsheet users. However, managing and consolidating data across worksheets and workbooks can be tedious and time-consuming without the right techniques. Master these tricks to merge and manipulate Excel sheets like an expert.

View Sheets Side-by-Side

Rather than constantly switching between tabs, view multiple sheets side-by-side in the same window. Go to the View tab and select “New Window” to open a second window displaying your workbook. You can tile or cascade sheets and easily refer to data across windows.

Link Sheets with 3D Formulas

Build 3D formulas to analyze data across multiple sheets. Start a formula as usual and add the sheet name followed by an exclamation point before the cell reference, like =Sheet2!A1. This pulls data from Sheet2 into your formula on the active sheet for seamless cross-referencing.

Consolidate Data with PivotTables

Easily combine, summarize, and report on data from separate sheets with PivotTables. When creating a PivotTable, check the box for “Multiple Consolidation Ranges” and add all the source sheets. The PivotTable will automatically pull and consolidate the data for flexible reporting.

Merge Tables with Power Query

For a more permanent data merge, use Power Query to combine tables from different sheets into a single master table. Load the sheets you want to merge, select the tables, go to the Transform tab, and click “Merge Tables”. Power Query will append the rows together into one unified dataset.

Link Cells Across Sheets

Rather than retyping the same data in multiple sheets, you can link cells and ranges across sheets to maintain consistency. Type “=” in a cell, then click the sheet tab and select the cell to link. The data will remain synced as it’s updated.

With these tips, you can masterfully merge, consolidate, and manage data across all your Excel worksheets. Want to take your Excel skills even further? Check out our upcoming workshop!

And, we’ve got you covered with an entire library of solutions that will empower you to work smarter!

Data Cleansing in Excel: Streamlining Your Analysis Workflow

August 4, 2023 by Madeleine Moucheron

Data is the foundation of any analysis, decision-making process, or business strategy. However, raw data seldom comes perfectly organized and error-free. That’s where data cleaning and preparation play a crucial role in transforming messy data into valuable insights. Excel, being one of the most widely used tools for data management, offers a host of powerful features and best practices to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Identify and Handle Missing Data: Missing data is a common issue that can distort the analysis. Excel provides tools like filtering and conditional formatting to identify and handle missing values. One can choose to either remove incomplete records or use imputation techniques to estimate the missing data.
Remove Duplicate Records: Duplicates can introduce bias and affect the integrity of the analysis. Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” feature allows users to quickly identify and eliminate duplicate rows, ensuring the data remains clean and accurate.
Data Validation: Implementing data validation rules can prevent erroneous data entry. Excel’s data validation feature allows setting criteria for data cells, ensuring users enter only valid and relevant information.
Proper Formatting and Consistency: Inconsistent formatting can lead to data interpretation issues. Excel enables users to format cells consistently and convert data types as required. This ensures that numerical data is treated as numbers, dates as dates, and text as text.
Handling Outliers: Outliers can significantly impact statistical analysis. Excel’s functions such as “IF,” “COUNTIF,” and “AVERAGEIF” help identify and deal with outliers effectively, preserving the accuracy of the data.
Splitting and Combining Data: Sometimes, data may be combined in a single cell, leading to complications during analysis. Excel offers functions like “Text to Columns” and “Concatenate” to split and combine data elements, respectively, ensuring data is organized correctly.
Remove Unnecessary Characters and Spaces: Excel’s “TRIM” function is useful for removing extra spaces, while “SUBSTITUTE” can help eliminate unnecessary characters or symbols from the data.
Date and Time Formatting: When dealing with date and time data, Excel allows users to format these values consistently and manipulate them using various functions for better analysis.
Protecting Clean Data: After cleaning and preparing the data, it’s essential to protect it from accidental changes. Excel offers password protection and sheet locking to safeguard the accuracy of the cleaned dataset.
Document Data Cleaning Steps: Finally, it’s vital to document the data cleaning steps taken in a separate sheet or cell comments. This documentation ensures transparency and enables reproducibility in case of future analyses or audits.

In conclusion, data cleaning and preparation are vital steps to ensure accurate and reliable analysis in Excel. By following these best practices, users can transform raw and messy data into valuable insights that drive informed decision-making and business success. Remember, investing time in data cleaning ultimately saves time and resources in the long run, while ensuring the integrity and accuracy of your data-driven endeavors.

If you want to take your tackle Excel’s basics and beyond, check out our workshop.

And, we’ve got you covered with an entire library of solutions that will empower you to work smarter!

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP Formulas Part 3: XLOOKUP Formula

April 28, 2023 by Madeleine Moucheron

The XLOOKUP function is relatively new, and it was introduced to provide solutions for some of the issues that commonly occur when using the VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions. XLOOKUP serves as a sort of replacement for the other two functions mentioned, so if you can master using the XLOOKUP function, you’re all set when it comes to looking up pieces of data in your spreadsheets.

Keep reading to learn more about the XLOOKUP function.

XLOOKUP

The XLOOKUP function differs from both the VLOOKUP function and the HLOOKUP function in that it isn’t dependent on directions. XLOOKUP doesn’t have to search vertically or horizontally to locate and populate a specific piece of information.

The XLOOKUP function looks like this: =XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found], [match_mode], [search_mode])

Each component of the function has a specific meaning.

lookup_value: the information you want to locate
lookup_array: the list you want Excel to search for the information
return_array: the list you want the results from
[if_not_found]: the information populated if the value doesn’t exist
[match_mode]: exact match only setting
[search_mode]: search from first to last or last to first

It’s worth noting that the XLOOKUP function comes with several optional settings you can include in order to more accurately find the information you’re looking for. Because this function was designed to overcome the setbacks associated with the other two functions, many people prefer to use XLOOKUP to find data in their spreadsheets.

We hope this helps you feel comfortable using the XLOOKUP formula in Excel.

For a detailed demonstration from an expert, with exercises, and the most common questions answered, check out our workshop: Mastering Excel Lookup Functions: What Every User Should Know.

If you’d like to learn additional Excel formulas that can make your job easier, quicker, and more accurate, we’ve got you covered!

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VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP Formulas Part 2: HLOOKUP Formula

April 21, 2023 by Madeleine Moucheron

HLOOKUP is a function that Excel users can key in to look up and retrieve data from a specific row in a table. This function searches for values in the table’s first row, then returns a value in the same column from that row if the listed conditions are met.

Read on to discover the unique characteristics of the HLOOKUP function.

HLOOKUP

In the HLOOKUP function, the H stands for horizontal, so this function performs horizontal searches from left to right.

The HLOOKUP Function looks like this: =HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])

The components of the function have the following significance:

lookup_value: Like the other lookup functions, this segment identifies the piece of information you want to find
table_array: the table you want to search to find the specific piece of information
row_index_num: the row number from the table_array segment that will produce the matching value
range_lookup: the value that determines whether you want the function to locate an exact match or an approximate match

We hope this helps you feel comfortable using the HLOOKUP formula in Excel.

For a detailed demonstration from an expert, with exercises, and the most common questions answered, check out our workshop: Mastering Excel Lookup Functions: What Every User Should Know.

If you’d like to learn additional Excel formulas that can make your job easier, quicker, and more accurate, we’ve got you covered!

Like Learn Excel Now? Follow us on social media and share our content with your networks!

Excel Essentials: Adding Images to a Spreadsheet

September 28, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

Excel has many tools to help you master the look and feel of your spreadsheet. One feature it offers is the ability to add images to your spreadsheet. It can be an object from clip art, an original photo, downloaded images – as long as it’s in an image file, you can add it to Excel.

Let’s say you were putting together a sales report to send out to potential vendors. You are working with the following spreadsheet:

Now, your boss tells you he wants to add the company logo to the spreadsheet to give it a more polished and professional look. This is the process for adding the company logo:

Step 1: Prep your spreadsheet for the added image
Step 2: Go to the “Insert Ribbon”
Step 3: Click on the icon for ‘Pictures’
Step 4: Select the image you want to use in the dialogue box
Step 5: Click OK
Step 6: Using the Drag options on the image, resize to preferred size
Step 7: Double check to make sure it looks good.

You are now done with adding the company logo. Adding images to your spreadsheets can add value, relevance or just make them more fun.

We at Learn Excel Now hope you now feel confident adding images to Excel and formatting them to make your spreadsheets look great.

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Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Excel Basics: Adding, Editing & Formatting Comments

August 31, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

In Excel, you can add a comment to any cell. This could be a note to yourself, a reminder, a correction, a question – anything that is useful. Using Excel comments is particularly useful for workbooks that are used to share information and to collaborate on projects. At times though, you might want to go beyond the basic comment format and give your comments more character.

First, let’s explore the basic comment. To add a comment, you will:

Right click on the cell you want to comment on
On the menu, select comment
Enter your comment in the comment box that opens

Once you click out of it the comment will be part of the cell

Any cell with a comment has a small, red triangle in the upper right hand corner.

Now if anyone opens this workbook they will be able to view what you wrote. This is the basic comment format:

Formatting Comments

As with most things in Excel, you can do more with your comment than what the default format has to offer. To open editing for your comment, you will:

Either create a new comment or click on Edit Comment in the menu
Once the comment box is open, right click on outer edge of the box
Select Format Comment

Once you’ve open the format comment dialogue box, you have several options:

From there, you can make whatever changes you see fit:

Why Change Excel Comment Formatting?

There could be several reasons to change the formatting for comments:

Personal preference
Color coding types of comments
Adding urgency or priority to comments
And many others

We here at Learn Excel Now hope you found this week’s tip on Excel comments useful.

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Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Excel Formatting Essentials: Hiding Extra Rows & Columns

August 24, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

Today’s Excel blog post comes directly from a Learn Excel Now customer who was having trouble formatting her spreadsheet. She wanted to hide the extra rows and columns of the spreadsheet grid after creating a chart.

Here is what she wrote to Learn Excel Now:

“I produce weekly reports for my boss. He likes them to be in a 3D Pie Chart. But I can never seem to format it correctly. He showed me the report my coworker Carol sends him. It’s just a single chart – there is no spreadsheet behind it! It looks so clean and neat, like a single image. I want to be able to do that.”

And she can. For today’s example we will take the following spreadsheet and create a chart. Then we will format that chart so that it is the single image in the worksheet.

To create the chart:

Highlight the group of cells you want to chart
Go to the Insert tab on the home ribbon
Select the type of chart you want to use (3D Pie Chart in this case)

To make the chart the single image on the worksheet:

Expand the chart to cover the underlying data in the spreadsheet
Click on the first column visible to the right of the chart
Enter the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+à (right arrow key) to go to the last column
Open the right click menu and select Hide
Click on the first row visible underneath the chart
Enter the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow Key to go to the last row
Open the right click menu and select Hide

You have now hidden all of the rows and columns in the spreadsheet, leaving the chart as the lone visible image on the worksheet. Here is a Gif showing what to do:

Using the keyboard shortcuts to go to the last row and column can come in handy in many situations. Anytime you want to make the spreadsheet a close off image, you can hide those rows and columns.

We here at Learn Excel Now hope you feel comfortable using this convenient formatting tool.

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Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Essential Excel Skills: Protecting an Excel Worksheet

August 17, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

There are various skills everyone should learn in Excel. One of those skills is protecting an Excel worksheet. Excel allows you to add protection to a worksheet or workbook to prevent other users from making changes to your worksheet. This is particularly useful when you have an Excel workbook that multiple people use at your company.

Protecting an Excel worksheet is fairly straightforward.

Here is what you need to do:

Right click on the sheet tab to open the menu
Select Protect Worksheet
Set your password
Select the individual items you want to limit
Click Okay
Re-enter your password

Here is a quick demonstration:

There are several reasons to protect a worksheet. Let’s say you have a weekly sales log that has formulas and functions built into. You want your sales team to add information but don’t want them changing formulas – on accident or on purpose. So, you add protection to prevent them from being able to change anything.

Even for something as simple as not wanting someone to change your formatting, protecting an Excel worksheet can come in handy.

We here a Learn Excel Now hope you now feel comfortable protecting an Excel worksheet. This essential Excel skill will help in ensuring your data is always what you expect it to be.

Like Learn Excel Now? Follow us on social media and share our content with your networks! And don’t forget to sign up for the Newsletter

Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Removing Duplicates in Excel: Quick How-to Guide

June 22, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

This Excel tip from Learn Excel Now is on removing duplicates in Excel. The request is directly from a Learn Excel Now fan who asked us how to quickly remove duplicates. She told us:

“I pulled a list of all company sales from our database. It exported in Excel. The list is all of our sales, but many of our clients buy multiple products several times through the year. Yesterday, my boss asked me ‘how many unique clients have purchased in the last month?’ Those figures aren’t available because we’ve always only counted total sales. I started counting the individual companies 1-by-1, but there are so many of them. I know there has to be a way to remove the duplicates so I can see each company listed only once. Can you help me?”

So, this post was designed for one of our fans – let’s call her Rachel – and anyone else who wants to know about removing duplicates in Excel.

The following table contains multiple cases of duplicates. Similar to Rachel’s request, they are the names of companies in a sales document.

Now, let’s get in there and remove those duplicates! Here’s how you do it:

Highlight the column(s) or row(s) containing the duplicate values you want to remove
Go to the ‘Data’ Tab on the Excel Ribbon
Find the “Remove Duplicates” tool and click it
Verify the table range on the dialogue box OR select the correct range on the dialogue box

If there are more values in the table but you want to stick to a column or row, select “Use Current Selection

Excel will automatically remove all duplicates. Now you and review and count the total unique values within the range.

We here at Learn Excel Now hope you now feel confident in removing duplicates in Excel. This useful tool is great for running quick analyses, finding unique values and cleaning up datasets for other functions or formatting.

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Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Creating Excel Tables: Quick Tip to Get Up-to-Speed

June 15, 2016 by Tyrone Pernsley

Excel provides you with many preset formatting options that you simply need to click to activate. One of the most common and most useful is to set your data as a table. There are many advantages to organizing your data in a table. It makes it easier to sort and filter important data, find totals automatically and create charts and graphs.

Setting your data as a table is fairly easy. First, you take your basic dataset:

And then you apply the table setting:

As you can see from the above Gif, there are many table styles to choose from:

This gives you the power to customize your Excel table to your preference.

Pro tip: you can add more customization to your formatting by using the Cell Styles tool to add colors, text formatting and other elements to make your table pop:

Once you have your table formatted, you can us the dropdown menu to quickly filter information:

You also have the ability organize your dataset in a variety of ways.

We here at Learn Excel Now hope you enjoyed this week’s quick tip on Excel Tables.

If you want to take your Excel skills to the next level and tackle the foundations of excel , check out our self-paced course.

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Kevin – Learn Excel Now

Merge and Manipulate Multiple Excel Sheets like a Pro

Data Cleansing in Excel: Streamlining Your Analysis Workflow

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP Formulas Part 3: XLOOKUP Formula

XLOOKUP

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP Formulas Part 2: HLOOKUP Formula

HLOOKUP

Excel Essentials: Adding Images to a Spreadsheet

Excel Basics: Adding, Editing & Formatting Comments

Excel Formatting Essentials: Hiding Extra Rows & Columns

Essential Excel Skills: Protecting an Excel Worksheet

Removing Duplicates in Excel: Quick How-to Guide

Creating Excel Tables: Quick Tip to Get Up-to-Speed

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