In this tutorial, you will learn how to transpose data in Google Sheets.
How To Transpose Data in Google Sheets
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Transposing data in a spreadsheet is a common way to reshape data to fit your needs. For example, you may have a dataset in columns that you would like to convert to rows or vice versa.
In Google Sheets, there are two simple ways to transpose cells: you can use the TRANSPOSE function or you can use the Paste Special option. The former method is dynamic, which means the transposed data will update when the original data is modified.
In this guide, we will explain how to use both methods to transpose cells in Google Sheets.
How To Switch Rows to Columns or Vice Versa in Google Sheets
Here’s how to switch rows to columns or vice versa for Google Sheets tables.
Step 1
We will first cover the Paste Special method for transposing a range.
The user must first select the range they want to transpose.
In this example, we want to transpose the range A1:E13. The output should have each month as its own column and each metric should correspond to a row.
Step 2
Right-click on the selection and click the Copy option.
Alternatively, the user can type the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut to copy the selected cells.
Step 3
After copying the selection, click on a new empty cell.
Ensure that there is enough space around the cell to hold the transposed range.
Step 4
Right-click on the range and select Paste special > Transposed.
Step 5
The selected range should now appear in a transposed layout. Do note that any cell formatting will not carry over to the pasted data.
A downside of this method is that any changes made to the original data will not reflect in the transposed table.
Step 6
We can use the TRANSPOSE function to create a dynamic output that can reflect changes made to the original table.
Select an empty cell and type “=TRANSPOSE(“ to start the function.
Step 7
Next, provide the cell range you want to transpose.
After evaluating the function, the transposed data should now appear starting at the target cell.
Changes made to the original range will reflect in the output of the TRANSPOSE function.
Summary
This guide should be everything you need to transpose data in Google Sheets.
You may make a copy of this example spreadsheet to test it out on your own.