Removing Subtotals from Many PivotTable Fields

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 25, 2018)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

2

Shairal develops PivotTables on a daily basis, using various data sources such as Excel lists, Access tables, and OLAP data. One of the most irritating things he deals with is suppressing the automatic subtotal function on each field, one at a time. This can be time consuming depending on the number of fields he's used. Shairal wondered if it might be easier to use a macro to suppress the subtotals for all the fields at once.

The answer is that it would be easier to use a macro. (That is what macros are for—to take care of the tedious things you tire of.) Rather than reinvent the wheel, however, a good solution is to consider the following code, adapted from Microsoft MVP Debra Daglisesh's site:

Sub NoSubtotals()
    'turns off subtotals in pivot table
    '.PivotFields could be changed to
    '.RowFields or .ColumnFields

    Dim pt As PivotTable
    Dim pf As PivotField

    On Error Resume Next
    For Each pt In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
        For Each pf In pt.PivotFields
            'First, set index 1 (Automatic) to True,
            'so all other values are set to False
            pf.Subtotals(1) = True
            pf.Subtotals(1) = False
        Next pf
    Next pt
End Sub

Just display the PivotTable you want to affect, and then run the macro. The subtotals for all the fields in the PivotTable are suppressed at once. The original for this code is available here, at Debra's site:

http://www.contextures.com/xlPivot03.html#Subtotals

The site also contains some other good information for working with PivotTables.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3103) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Locked File Puzzle

What would you do if every time you opened a workbook Excel told you it was locked? Here's how you can try to recover ...

Discover More

Preventing Printing

Want to prevent your worksheet from being printed? You may be out of luck, as a determined person may be able to find a ...

Discover More

Limiting Entry of Prior Dates

Want to establish a "bottom limit" on what dates can be entered in a cell? This tip presents two different ways you can ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Error in Linked PivotTable Value

Excel allows you to link to values in other workbooks, even if those values are in PivotTables. However, Excel may ...

Discover More

Counting with PivotTables

One of the ways you can use PivotTables is to generate counts of various items in a data table. This is a great technique ...

Discover More

Bogging Down with Calculated Items

Create a complex PivotTable and you may find that your system slows to a crawl. The reason for this may be due to the way ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is one less than 7?

2020-07-04 06:09:24

O.Ezeakile

Thanks a lot.

2019-11-26 14:17:34

Denis

Nice cod bro. Thanks a lot.

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.