How to Move Grand Total to Top of Pivot Table?

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When working with pivot tables in Microsoft Excel, the Grand Total usually appears at the bottom. While this default layout works for most reports, some users may prefer the grand total at the top of the pivot table for better visibility or alignment with reporting standards.

In this guide, you’ll learn step-by-step methods to move the Grand Total to the top of your pivot table. These methods apply to Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, and Microsoft 365 versions.

Understanding Grand Totals in Pivot Tables

The Grand Total in a pivot table summarizes data across either rows or columns. It helps users get a quick overview of the total values without manually summing each item.

By default:

• Row Grand Total appears at the bottom
• Column Grand Total appears at the right

But Excel doesn’t provide a direct setting to move row grand totals to the top. Instead, we use workarounds.

Method 1: Use Manual Reordering and Helper Rows

This method involves using a helper row above your pivot table and referencing the Grand Total values manually.

Steps:

1. Create your pivot table
   • Select your data and go to Insert > PivotTable
   • Choose where to place the table (new or existing worksheet)
2. Build your pivot table
   • Add the desired rows, columns, and values
   • Make sure Grand Totals are enabled
3. Copy the Grand Total values
   • Scroll to the bottom row of the pivot table
   • Copy the Grand Total row (use Ctrl + C)
4. Paste Grand Total above
   • Insert a new row above the pivot table
   • Use Paste Special > Values to paste the data
5. Label the new row
   • In the left-most cell, type “Grand Total”
6. Hide the original total row
   • Manually hide the last row of the pivot table, or
   • Use conditional formatting to blend it with the background

Example Table Before & After:

After moving Grand Total:

Method 2: Use Power Pivot and DAX Formula

If you work with Power Pivot or Data Models, you can use DAX measures to create custom calculations that appear at the top.

Steps:

1. Enable Power Pivot
   • Go to File > Options > Add-Ins
   • Select COM Add-ins, then check Microsoft Power Pivot for Excel
2. Load your data into the Data Model
   • Insert a pivot table and check “Add this data to the Data Model”
3. Create a DAX Measure
   • In the Power Pivot window, click on Measures > New Measure
   • Use the formula: TotalSales := SUM(TableName[Sales])
4. Add a calculated row for Grand Total
   • Use CALCULATE and IF statements to insert a row labeled “Grand Total” with the total value
5. Sort and format the table
   • Sort the custom “Grand Total” row to appear at the top

This method is ideal for more dynamic reports and prevents manual adjustments when data refreshes.

Method 3: Convert Pivot Table to Static Table

This method is simple but removes pivot table flexibility. Only use if your report doesn’t need to be refreshed.

Steps:

1. Create and configure your pivot table
2. Copy the entire pivot table (Ctrl + C)
3. Right-click and choose Paste Special > Values in a new location
4. Manually move the Grand Total row to the top
5. Adjust column formatting if needed

Pros and Cons:

Method 4: Use Custom Sorting in Pivot Table

You can also use custom sorting to bring the Grand Total to the top by modifying labels.

Steps:

1. Create a new column in your source data labeled SortOrder
2. Assign values like:
   • “Grand Total” = 0
   • Other categories = 1, 2, 3, etc.
3. Add the SortOrder field to your pivot table rows
4. Sort by this column in ascending order
5. Hide the SortOrder column from the report layout

This method allows you to keep your table dynamic while controlling the order.

Tips for Cleaner Reports

Here are a few additional Excel tips to make your reports look polished:

• Use formatting: Bold totals, apply currency formatting
• Freeze panes: Keep headers visible while scrolling
• Rename fields: Change “Grand Total” to a custom label if needed
• Use slicers: Make the pivot table interactive

Comparing Methods to Move Grand Total to Top of Pivot Table

Final Thoughts

Although Excel does not provide a built-in setting to move the Grand Total to the top of a pivot table, several effective workarounds exist. You can use manual techniques, Power Pivot, DAX formulas, or custom sorting to achieve a clean and professional layout.

Choose the method that best suits your workflow. For regular reporting, Power Pivot or custom sorting keeps your pivot table dynamic. For static reports, manual repositioning works well.

FAQs

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.