Compare two categories in a single summary
A plain CSV puts each record on its own row. That is useful for detail, but patterns can be hard to compare when the same categories repeat throughout the file. A pivot table rearranges those records into a grid: one field labels the rows, another labels the columns, and each intersection summarizes the records that belong there.
Imagine a sales export with Region, Product, and Revenue fields. Use Region for the row categories and Product for the column categories. Counting rows shows how many sales records each region has for each product. Summing Revenue instead shows sales totals in those same combinations.
What each calculation means
Count rows counts records at each row-and-column intersection. It does not need a numeric value field. Sum values adds valid numbers from the selected field. Average values divides that sum by the number of valid numeric cells in that intersection. Blank and non-numeric cells are skipped for sum and average.
Categories appear in the order they first occur in the source file. Empty category cells are kept as a distinct blank category. Combinations without records remain empty in the output, which is different from a calculated zero.
Build and review a pivot
- Upload a CSV, TSV, or delimited TXT file, or paste your data.
- Choose one field for row categories and a different field for column categories.
- Select Count rows, Sum values, or Average values. Choose a numeric field for the latter two.
- Create the pivot, inspect the complete result, and copy or download it as CSV.
To keep the cross-tab manageable, the tool allows up to 50 distinct column categories. If the chosen field has more, reduce the data or select a field with fewer categories. Your source file is read and processed in the browser; it is not uploaded to RomitCSV.
When a pivot table is the right tool
Use a pivot when you need to compare two dimensions at once, such as order status by month or product by region. For a one-category summary, CSV Group By produces a simpler result. To filter records before summarizing them, use CSV Filter and then create a pivot from the filtered data.
Questions about CSV pivot tables
Do I need a numeric field to make a pivot?
No. Count rows only needs the row and column category fields. Sum and Average also need a field with numeric values.
Why must row and column fields be different?
Using distinct fields makes each axis describe a different category. It also avoids a redundant grid where both axes repeat the same labels.
How are empty cells in the pivot shown?
An intersection with no source records is left blank. A calculated count or total of zero is shown as 0 when records exist and the result is actually zero.
Are blank categories removed?
No. Empty values are grouped into a visible blank category so their records remain in the summary.
Why is there a 50-category limit on columns?
A wide pivot becomes difficult to inspect and export. The limit keeps the generated table practical to review in a browser.
Can I export the pivot?
Yes. Copy CSV puts the result on your clipboard, and Download CSV saves the pivot as a separate file.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The data is transformed locally in your browser.
Other ways to summarize CSV data
Use CSV Group By to create one summary row per category, or browse all CSV tools.