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To make managing and analyzing a group of related data easier, you can turn a range of cells into an Excel table (previously known as an Excel list).

Note: Excel tables should not be confused with the data tables that are part of a suite of what-if analysis commands. For more information about data tables.

Learn about the elements of an Excel table

A table can include the following elements:

• Header row    By default, a table has a header row. Every table column has filtering enabled in the header row so that you can filter or sort your table data quickly. For more information, see Filter data or Sort data.

You can turn off the header row in a table. For more information, see Turn Excel table headers on or off.

• Banded rows    Alternate shading or banding in rows helps to better distinguish the data.

• Calculated columns    By entering a formula in one cell in a table column, you can create a calculated column in which that formula is instantly applied to all other cells in that table column. For more information, see Use calculated columns in an Excel table.

• Total row    Once you add a total row to a table, Excel gives you an AutoSum drop-down list to select from functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, and so on. When you select one of these options, the table will automatically convert them to a SUBTOTAL function, which will ignore rows that have been hidden with a filter by default. If you want to include hidden rows in your calculations, you can change the SUBTOTAL function arguments.
• Sizing handle    A sizing handle in the lower-right corner of the table allows you to drag the table to the size that you want.

Create a table

You can create as many tables as you want in a spreadsheet.

To quickly create a table in Excel, do the following:

1. Select the cell or the range in the data.
2. Select Home > Format as Table.
3. Pick a table style.
4. In the Format as Table dialog box, select the checkbox next to My table as headers if you want the first row of the range to be the header row, and then click OK.

Working efficiently with your table data

Excel has some features that enable you to work efficiently with your table data:

• Using structured references    Instead of using cell references, such as A1 and R1C1, you can use structured references that reference table names in a formula. For more information, see Using structured references with Excel tables.
• Ensuring data integrity     You can use the built-in data validation feature in Excel. For example, you may choose to allow only numbers or dates in a column of a table.

Put the data in your spreadsheet into a table

1. Select your data by clicking the first cell and dragging to the last cell in your data.

To use the keyboard, hold down Shift while you press the arrow keys to select your data.

2. Click the Quick Analysis button  in the bottom-right corner of the selection.

3. Click Tables, move your cursor to the Table button to preview your data, and then click the Table button.

4. Click the arrow  in the table header of a column.
5. To filter the data, clear the Select All check box, and then select the data you want to show in your table.

6. To sort the data, click Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.

7. Click OK.