Consolidate data in multiple worksheets

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To summarize and report results from separate worksheets, you can consolidate data from each separate worksheet

into a master worksheet. The worksheets can be in the same workbook as the master worksheet or in other

workbooks. When you consolidate data, you are assembling data so that you can more easily update and aggregate

it on a regular or ad hoc basis.

For example, if you have a worksheet of expense figures for each of your regional offices, you might use a

consolidation to roll up these figures into a corporate expense worksheet. This master worksheet might contain sales

totals and averages, current inventory levels, and highest selling products for the entire enterprise.

To consolidate data, use the Consolidate command in the Data Tools group on the Data tab.

What do you want to do?

Arrange the data in all worksheets in identical order and location Consolidate by position

Organize the data differently in the separate worksheets, but use Consolidate by category
the same row and column labels so that the master worksheet can
match the data

Use formulas with cell references or to other worksheets that you Consolidate by formula
are combining because you do not have a consistent position or
category to rely on

Consolidate by position

1. Set up the data to be consolidated on each separate worksheet.

How to set up the data

 Make sure that each range of data is in format: each column has a label in the first row and

contains similar facts, and there are no blank rows or columns within the list.
  Put each range on a separate worksheet. Don't put any of the ranges on the worksheet

where you plan to put the consolidation.

 Make sure that each range has the same layout.

 Name each range: Select the entire range, and then on the Formulas tab in the Named

Cells group, click the arrow next to Name a Range, and type a name for the range in the Name box.

2. Click the upper-left cell of the area where you want the consolidated data to appear in the master

worksheet.

 NOTE     Make sure that you leave enough cells to the right and below this cell for the consolidated data.

The Consolidate command populates the area as needed.

3. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Consolidate.

4. In the Function box, click the that you want Microsoft Office Excel to use to consolidate the data.

5. If the worksheet is in another workbook, click Browse to locate the file, and then click OK to close the

Browse dialog box.

The file path is entered in the Reference box followed by an exclamation point.

6. Type the name that you gave the range, and then click Add. Repeat this step for each range.

7. Decide how you want to update the consolidation. Do one of the following:

 To set up the consolidation so that it updates automatically when the source data changes,

select the Create links to source data check box.

IMPORTANT  You can only select this check box if the worksheet is in another workbook. Once you

select this check box, you won't be able to change which cells and ranges are included in the

consolidation.
  To set up the consolidation so that you can update the consolidation manually by changing

the included cells and ranges, clear the Create links to source data check box.

8. Leave the boxes under Use labels in blank. Excel does not copy the row or column labels in the

source ranges to the consolidation. If you want labels for the consolidated data, copy them from one of the

source ranges or enter them manually.

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Consolidate by category

1. Set up the data to be consolidated on each separate worksheet.

How to set up the data

 Make sure that each range of data is in format: each column has a label in the first row and

contains similar facts, and there are no blank rows or columns within the list.

 Put each range on a separate worksheet. Don't put any of the ranges on the worksheet

where you plan to put the consolidation.

 Make sure that the labels for columns or rows that you want to combine have identical

spelling and capitalization; for example, labels Annual Avg. and Annual Average are different and will

not consolidate.

 Name each range: Select the entire range, and then on the Formulas tab in the Named

Cells group, click the arrow next to Name a Range, and type a name for the range in the Name box.

2. Click the upper-left cell of the area where you want the consolidated data to appear in the master

worksheet.

 NOTE     Make sure that you leave enough cells to the right and below this cell for the consolidated data.

The Consolidate command populates the area as needed.

3. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Consolidate.

5. If the worksheet is in another workbook, click Browse to locate the file, and then click OK to close the

Browse dialog box.

The file path is entered in the Reference box followed by an exclamation point.

6. Type the name you gave the range, and then click Add. Repeat this step for each range.

7. Decide how you want to update the consolidation. Do one of the following:

 To set up the consolidation so that it updates automatically when the source data changes,

select the Create links to source data check box.

IMPORTANT  You can only select this check box if the worksheet is in another workbook. Once you

select this check box, you won't be able to change which cells and ranges are included in the

consolidation.

 To set up the consolidation so that you can update the consolidation manually by changing

the included cells and ranges, clear the Create links to source data check box.

8. Select the check boxes under Use labels in that indicate where the labels are located in the source

ranges: either the Top row, the Left column, or both.

 NOTES 

 Any labels that don't match up with labels in the other source areas result in separate rows

or columns in the consolidation.

 Make sure that any categories that you don't want to consolidate have unique labels that

appear in only one source range.

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Consolidate by formula

1. On the master worksheet, copy or enter the column or row labels that you want for the consolidated

data.

2. Click a cell that you want to contain consolidated data.

3. Type a formula that includes a cell reference to the source cells on each worksheet or a 3-D reference

that contains data that you want to consolidate. Regarding cell references, do one of the following:

If the data to consolidate is in different cells on different worksheets  

 Enter a formula with cell references to the other worksheets, one for each separate

worksheet. For example, to consolidate data from worksheets named Sales (in cell B4), HR (in cell

F5), and Marketing (in cell B9), in cell A2 of the master worksheet, you would enter the following:

Tip  To enter a cell reference, such as Sales!B4, in a formula without typing, type the formula up to

the point where you need the reference, click the worksheet tab, and then click the cell.

If the data to consolidate is in the same cells on different worksheets  

 Enter a formula with a 3-D reference that uses a reference to a range of worksheet names.

For example, to consolidate data in cells A2 from Sales through Marketing inclusive, in cell A2 of the

master worksheet you would enter the following:

 NOTE    If the workbook is set to automatically calculate formulas, a consolidation by formula always updates

automatically when the data in the separate worksheets change.

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