Google updates Sheets to make pivot table smarter

Google has announced new updates for Sheets aimed at making pivot tables smarter and, more accessible. Thanks to AI, Sheets will now be able to help those who use spreadsheets to decide when is the right time to use a pivot table, and when they do, make better use of those tables in general.

Google made the announcement via a blog post on Wednesday. Users will be able to get recommendations from Sheets’ Explore tab that aim to answer questions about the data fed into the program by spitting out a pivot table, which absorbs multiple pieces of data and outputs relevant answers. In addition, the app will automatically suggest different pivot table setups when users go to create one inside a spreadsheet.

"We often use basic spreadsheet formulas like =SUM or =AVERAGE for data analysis, but it takes time to make sure all inputs are written correctly. Soon, you may notice suggestions pop up when you type “=” in a cell. Using machine intelligence, Sheets provides full formula suggestions to you based on contextual clues from your spreadsheet data. We designed this to help teams save time and get answers more intuitively," reads the blog post.

Other updates include a refreshed UI, including customizable row and column headings, the ability to create and edit waterfall charts, and the ability for Sheets to identify and column-assign when importing data – all without the need for a delimiter.