How To Lock Column Width In Excel Pivot Table: Easy Guide

Have you ever spent hours meticulously creating an Excel pivot table, only to have the column widths change and throw off your entire layout when the pivot table is updated? It can be incredibly frustrating, but fear not! There’s a simple solution to prevent column resizing that many Excel users are unaware of.

Did you know that you can lock the column width in an Excel pivot table and prevent automatic resizing? By turning off the “Autofit on column widths on update” setting, you can ensure that your carefully designed pivot table layout stays intact, no matter how many changes or filters you apply.

In this article, we’ll show you step by step how to turn off the automatic column resizing in Excel pivot tables, allowing you to have full control over your table’s structure. Whether you’re a seasoned Excel user or just starting out, this easy guide will provide you with the knowledge to prevent column resizing and create professional-looking pivot tables that stay consistent. Don’t let your hard work go to waste – let’s get started!

How to manually autofit column widths in Excel pivot table

After turning off the “Autofit on column widths on update” setting, there may be times when you want to resize the columns manually after modifying the pivot table. You can do this quickly by following these steps:

1. Select a cell inside the pivot table.
2. Press Ctrl+A to select the pivot table body range.
3. Press Alt,h,o,i to autofit column widths.

If you want to include cell contents outside of the pivot table, you can press Ctrl+Space after Ctrl+A to select the entire column.

By manually autofitting column widths, you have more control over the appearance of your pivot table and can ensure that the columns are properly sized to display the data.

By manually autofitting the column widths, the pivot table becomes more visually appealing and easier to read.

Changing the default pivot table settings

In Excel 2016 (Office 365), you have the option to change the default settings for most pivot table options, including the “Autofit column width on update” setting. By going to File > Options > Data > Edit Default Layout > PivotTable Options, you can uncheck the “Autofit column width on update” setting and save it as the default for all new pivot tables you create. This saves time from manually changing the setting each time you create a pivot table.

With this feature in Excel 2016, you can easily customize the default settings of pivot tables to align with your specific needs. By turning off the “Autofit column width on update” setting, you can ensure that column widths remain unchanged when you update or modify your pivot table.

To change the default pivot table settings, follow these simple steps:

1. Open Excel 2016 (Office 365) on your computer.
2. Click on the “File” tab in the top left corner of the Excel window.
3. Select “Options” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the Excel Options window, click on the “Data” tab on the left sidebar.
5. Scroll down to the “Edit Default Layout” section and click on the “PivotTable Options” button.
6. A new window will pop up with various options for customizing pivot tables. Go to the “Layout & Format” tab.
7. Uncheck the “Autofit column width on update” checkbox.
8. Click “OK” to save the changes and close the window.

By following these steps, you can modify the default settings of pivot tables to prevent the “Autofit column width on update” behavior. This ensures that column widths remain consistent and avoids the inconvenience of having to manually adjust them each time you work with a pivot table.

Benefits of changing the default pivot table settings

Changing the default pivot table settings in Excel 2016 (Office 365) offers several advantages:

• Save time: By modifying the default settings, you eliminate the need to manually turn off the “Autofit column width on update” setting every time you create a pivot table. This streamlines your workflow and increases productivity.
• Consistency: With consistent column widths, your pivot tables will have a clean and professional appearance. This enhances readability and ensures that data remains organized and easy to analyze.
• Precision: By controlling the column widths in your pivot tables, you can present data in a way that highlights important information and provides a clear visual representation.

Take control of your pivot tables by changing the default settings in Excel 2016. Ensure that column widths remain consistent and avoid the frustration of having to resize columns every time you update your pivot tables.

Using a macro to turn off autofit columns on all pivot tables

If you have multiple pivot tables in your workbook and want to turn off the “Autofit column width” setting on all of them, you can utilize a VBA macro. By running this macro, it will loop through all the worksheets and pivot tables in the workbook and disable the setting. Should the need arise, you can also modify the macro to turn the autofit column width setting back on. To implement this macro, simply copy and paste the provided VBA code into a code module in your Personal Macro Workbook. Once saved, you can then use it to control the autofit column width behavior in any open workbook.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Press ALT + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
2. In the Project Explorer window, locate and expand the Microsoft Excel Objects folder.
3. Double-click on the Personal Macro Workbook to open it.
4. Click Insert and then Module to insert a new code module.
5. Paste the following VBA code into the module:

Sub TurnOffAutoFitColumnsOnPivotTables()
    Dim wb As Workbook
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim pt As PivotTable

    Set wb = ThisWorkbook

    For Each ws In wb.Worksheets
        For Each pt In ws.PivotTables
            pt.TableRange2.AutoFitColumns = False
        Next pt
    Next ws
End Sub

Once you have added the code, save the Personal Macro Workbook and close the Visual Basic Editor. You can now run the macro by pressing ALT + F8, selecting the macro name “TurnOffAutoFitColumnsOnPivotTables,” and clicking Run.

By utilizing this macro, you can easily manage the autofit column width behavior of all the pivot tables in your workbook, saving you time and ensuring consistent formatting across your data.

Example:

Let’s visualize the effectiveness of the macro using a simple example:

Consider a workbook with three worksheets, each containing a pivot table. The pivot tables have different column widths due to the “Autofit column width” setting. Here’s how the macro can be used to turn off the autofit column width on all pivot tables:

As shown in the example, after running the macro, the “Autofit column width” setting is disabled for all pivot tables in the workbook. This ensures uniformity in column widths and prevents any unwanted changes caused by the autofit feature.

Using a macro to list autofit column setting for all pivot tables

In addition to turning off the autofit column width setting for all pivot tables, you can also use a macro to list the current values of the setting for each pivot table in the workbook. This can be useful for checking the current settings of your pivot tables and troubleshooting any issues that may arise.

The macro provided outputs the results to the Immediate Window in the VB Editor, displaying the HasAutoFormat value, worksheet name, and pivot table name for each pivot table in the workbook.

Here is an example of the output:

To use the macro, you can copy and paste the provided VBA code into a code module in your Personal Macro Workbook. Once the macro is saved, you can run it on any open workbook to list the autofit column width setting for all pivot tables.

Additional resources on pivot tables & macros

To further enhance your understanding of pivot tables and macros in Excel, there are additional resources available. The author of the articles provides a comprehensive video series on the Personal Macro Workbook, where you can learn more about using macros in Excel.

In addition, ExcelTips offers a wealth of tips, tutorials, and training specifically focused on pivot tables and macros. This platform provides cost-effective Microsoft Excel training that can help you master the intricacies of working with pivot tables and Excel macros.

By exploring these valuable resources, you can expand your knowledge and skills in pivot table creation and customization, as well as harness the power of macros to automate repetitive tasks, increase efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in Excel proficiency.

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.