Enable Power Pivot in Excel – Instructions

Enable Power Pivot in Excel: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Starting Power Pivot,” shows you how to enable the data analysis add-ins if using Excel 2019 or Excel for Microsoft 365. This video lesson is from our complete Excel tutorial, titled “Mastering Excel Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”

            Alternatively, to individually enable Power Pivot or enable all the data analysis add-ins if using Excel 2016 or Excel Professional Plus 2013, please watch our other video titled “Starting Power Pivot” to learn how to do this in these older versions of Excel.

Enable Power Pivot in Excel: Overview

            This lesson shows you how to enable Power Pivot in Excel. Power Pivot expands the abilities of the Excel data model to allow for robust data management and reporting for PivotTables and PivotCharts. Before you can start using Power Pivot, however, you must enable it in Excel. Power Pivot is an “add-in” program that you must enable in Excel before you can use it.

            To enable Power Pivot in Excel, click the “File” tab in the Ribbon to open the backstage view. Then click the “Options” category at the left side of the backstage view to open the “Excel Options” window. Within this window, click the “Add-Ins” category at its left side. At the bottom, right side of this window, select “COM Add-ins” from the “Manage” drop-down. Then click the adjacent “Go…” button to open the “COM Add-Ins” window. In this window, check the checkbox for the “Microsoft Power Pivot for Excel” add-in. Then click the “OK” button to the right to enable the add-in.

            Alternatively, you can enable the data analysis add-ins in Excel to enable Power Pivot, Power View (which is deprecated), and 3D Maps (formerly Power Map) at one time. To do this, click the “File” tab in the Ribbon to open the backstage view. Then click the “Options” category at the left side of the backstage view to open the “Excel Options” window.

            Then, if using Excel 2019 or later or Excel for Office 365, click the “Data” category shown at the left side of the “Excel Options” window. At the right side of this window, under the “Data options” section, check the “Enable Data Analysis add-ins: Power Pivot, Power View and 3D Maps” checkbox. Then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Excel Options” window to enable those three add-ins.

Enable Power Pivot in Excel – Instructions: A picture of a user enabling the Data Analysis add-ins within the “Excel Options” window in Excel for Office 365.

            Alternatively, if using Excel 2016, click the “Advanced” category shown at the left side of the “Excel Options” window. At the bottom, right side of this window, under the “Data” section, check the “Enable Data Analysis add-ins: Power Pivot, Power View, and Power Map” checkbox. Then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Excel Options” window to enable those three add-ins.

            At this point, in all versions of Excel, you should see a new “Power Pivot” tab appear within the Ribbon. You can click this tab in the Ribbon to view the commands used to manage your Power Pivot data.

Enable Power Pivot in Excel: Instructions

1. To enable Power Pivot in Excel, click the “File” tab in the Ribbon to open the backstage view.
2. Then click the “Options” category at the left side of the backstage view to open the “Excel Options” window.
3. Within this window, click the “Add-Ins” category at its left side.
4. At the bottom, right side of this window, select “COM Add-ins” from the “Manage” drop-down.
5. Then click the adjacent “Go…” button to open the “COM Add-Ins” window.
6. In this window, check the checkbox for the “Microsoft Office Power Pivot for Excel” add-in.
7. Then click the “OK” button to the right to enable the add-in.
8. Alternatively, to enable all the data analysis add-ins, including Power Pivot, Power View (which is now deprecated), and 3D Maps (formerly Power Map) at once, click the “File” tab in the Ribbon to open the backstage view.
9. Then click the “Options” category at the left side of the backstage view to open the “Excel Options” window.
10. If using Excel 2019 or later or Excel for Office 365, then click the “Data” category at the left side of the “Excel Options” window.
11. At the right side of this window, under the “Data options” section, check the “Enable Data Analysis add-ins: Power Pivot, Power View and 3D Maps” checkbox.
12. Then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Excel Options” window.
13. Alternatively, if using Excel 2016, then click the “Advanced” category at the left side of the “Excel Options” window.
14. At the bottom, right side of this window, under the “Data” section, check the “Enable Data Analysis add-ins: Power Pivot, Power View, and Power Map” checkbox.
15. Then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Excel Options” window
16. To then view the commands for Power Pivot in all versions of Excel, click the new “Power Pivot” tab that appears in the Ribbon.