How to change pivot table data source in Excel?

calendar_today Asked Apr 7, 2009
thumb_up 21 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Just figured it out-click anywhere in the table, then go to the tabs at the top of the page and select Options-from there you'll see a Change Data Source selection. This is a prose walkthrough, ranked #29th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2009.


The Problem (Q-score 24, ranked #29th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2009

I want to change it from one database to another.

There don’t appear to be any options to do this on the pivot table context menu

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds strong answer (top 25 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — strong answer (top 25 %%) (+21)

Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block

Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.

Just figured it out-click anywhere in the table, then go to the tabs at the top of the page and select Options-from there you’ll see a Change Data Source selection.


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #29th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 94% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2009 and 2026

The answer is 17 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this sit in the top quartile of Excel VBA answers?
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Answer score +21 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~7; this entry is strong. The score plus 24 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+24) means the asker and 20 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

The answer has no code block — how do I turn it into a snippet?
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Use the walkthrough above as a checklist, then open a top-10 Excel VBA archive entry for a concrete starting template you can adapt.

This answer is 17 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2009, which is 17 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #28?
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The pattern one rank above is “How to find a value in an excel column by vba code Cells.Find”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 24, Answer-score 21, original post 2009, ranked #29th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.