Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Transposing and Linking.

Transposing and Linking

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 7, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

1

You may already know that you can transpose information by using the Paste Special abilities of Excel. The information that is pasted is not dynamic, however. In some instances it might be nice to have the transposed information always reflect what is in the original, un-transposed information.

Here's a cool way to transpose information and have it linked to the original information:

  1. Figure out how many rows and columns are in your original information. For instance, if the original data is in the range A4:E10, then it has 7 rows and 5 columns.
  2. Select another place in the workbook (perhaps even on the same worksheet) that has the transposed number of rows and columns. For instance, if you are transposing A4:E10, you should select blank cells that consist of 5 rows and 7 columns.
  3. With the range still selected, click once in the Formula bar and type the following: =transpose(A4:E10). Make sure the address reflects the original data range you are transposing. If you are on a different worksheet, make sure you use an address that contains the worksheet name of your data, as in =transpose(Sheet1!A4:E10).
  4. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to signify to Excel that you are entering an array formula.

That's it. You've now got a dynamic transposed table, and any changes you make in the original are automatically reflected in the transposed version.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12614) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Transposing and Linking.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Counting Colors of Cells

Many people use colors of cells as a common method of communicating information in a worksheet. If you need a way to ...

Discover More

Relative VBA Selections

Need to select a cell using a macro? Need that selection to be relative to the cell you currently have selected? Here are ...

Discover More

How Word Applies Styles

Styles are a great boon for applying styles in a powerfully consistent manner. How Word applies styles, however, depends ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Determining the Used Range

You may have a need to determine the range occupied by data within a worksheet. The approach you take in devising a ...

Discover More

Adding an Area Code

When you work with phone numbers in a worksheet, you may want to normalize those numbers so that they contain an area ...

Discover More

Developing Reciprocal Conversion Formulas

When converting between measurement systems, you might want to use two cells for each type of measurement. Make a change ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven minus 6?

2023-10-08 10:21:57

J. Woolley

If you have Excel 2021 or newer (Excel 2021+) with support for dynamic arrays, you probably already know it is unnecessary to pre-select blank cells as described in step 2 or use Ctrl+Shift+Enter (CSE) as described in step 4.
My Excel Toolbox's SpillArray function (described in UseSpillArray.pdf) simulates a dynamic array in older versions of Excel.
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.