Pivot Table setting wont appear

Question

Pivot Table setting wont appear

Uchenna Chidozie 125

When I right click on a pivot table and select "show setting" nothing happens and I am unable to format my table the way I would like. This happens in all documents and newly created ones. When I create a pivot table, the field list will appear but when I try to open the setting pane the field list disappears and also does not open. How do I fix this issue?

Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-21T22:22:09.9266667+00:00

I'm using the online 365 version, and I've done all those trouble shooting and nothing
CR 5 Reputation points

2025-11-24T17:07:47.7166667+00:00

This is happening to me too. I'm right clicking in the pivot table that I want to view settings for, and the settings pane just will NOT appear. Also - I've had several spreadsheets today that I opened and excel had taken it upon itself to change the font to some random serif font
CR 5 Reputation points

2025-11-24T21:02:14.7166667+00:00

Also having the same issue. I can't do this spreadsheet in desktop because it is a live shared workbook that my remote colleagues need to be able to access in real time.

Not being able to access pivot table settings is a bug that directly prohibits me from being able to complete my work tasks. I cannot do my job because of this bug.

Additionally -- and I'm not sure whether this is related -- Excel keeps changing the font in my workbooks for no apparent reason. I always use the default sans serif (Aptos Narrow, I believe) but throughout the day today, at least 5+ times, my workbook will change itself to some random serif font. Even when I change it back to Aptos, it will go back to the serif within an hour. This is incredibly annoying.

5 answers

Your answer

Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-21T22:22:09.9266667+00:00

I'm using the online 365 version, and I've done all those trouble shooting and nothing
CR 5 Reputation points

2025-11-24T17:07:47.7166667+00:00

This is happening to me too. I'm right clicking in the pivot table that I want to view settings for, and the settings pane just will NOT appear. Also - I've had several spreadsheets today that I opened and excel had taken it upon itself to change the font to some random serif font
CR 5 Reputation points

2025-11-24T21:02:14.7166667+00:00

Also having the same issue. I can't do this spreadsheet in desktop because it is a live shared workbook that my remote colleagues need to be able to access in real time.

Not being able to access pivot table settings is a bug that directly prohibits me from being able to complete my work tasks. I cannot do my job because of this bug.

Additionally -- and I'm not sure whether this is related -- Excel keeps changing the font in my workbooks for no apparent reason. I always use the default sans serif (Aptos Narrow, I believe) but throughout the day today, at least 5+ times, my workbook will change itself to some random serif font. Even when I change it back to Aptos, it will go back to the serif within an hour. This is incredibly annoying.

Answer 1

If the Pivot Table settings are not appearing when you right-click and select "show setting," and the field list disappears when you try to open the settings pane, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check for Hidden Sheets: Sometimes, the sheet containing the Pivot Table may be hidden. Ensure that the sheet is visible by going to the View tab and selecting Unhide.
Minimize and Maximize the Window: This can refresh the Excel interface. Minimize the Excel window and then maximize it again to see if the settings pane appears.
Repair Office: If the issue persists across all documents, consider repairing your Office installation. You can do this through the Control Panel under Programs and Features.
Reset File Associations: Make sure that Excel is set as the default program for opening Excel files. This can be done through the file properties or the Control Panel settings.
Update Excel: Ensure that your Excel application is up to date, as updates may fix bugs or issues related to Pivot Tables.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

References:

Answer 2

CR 5

Also having the same issue. I can't do this spreadsheet in desktop because it is a live shared workbook that my remote colleagues need to be able to access in real time.

Not being able to access pivot table settings is a bug that directly prohibits me from being able to complete my work tasks. I cannot do my job because of this bug.

Additionally -- and I'm not sure whether this is related -- Excel keeps changing the font in my workbooks for no apparent reason. I always use the default sans serif (Aptos Narrow, I believe) but throughout the day today, at least 5+ times, my workbook will change itself to some random serif font. Even when I change it back to Aptos, it will go back to the serif within an hour. This is incredibly annoying.

Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T09:58:06.31+00:00

Hi CR

Thank you for your report on the issue. As a forum moderator, I unfortunately don't have direct access to the product development process. Therefore, kindly submit your feedback via the Feedback Portal so as the developers can read your feedback.

You may consider creating a support ticket so the Technical Engineers could investigate your issue.

Thank you for your cooperation.
CR 5 Reputation points

2025-12-05T17:09:42.72+00:00

Could you possibly link to the feedback portal or link to where one could create a support ticket? That would be helpful.

Answer 3

Garret Hoffman 0

I was having the same issue.

I switched to edge (from firefox) and the "Show/Hide Field List" setting seems to work fine.

In firefox, you can click the x to close the field list, and then you have to refresh the page to get it back.

Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-25T00:48:16.8033333+00:00

I’ve tried in chrome, Firefox, edge and safari and they all do the same thing
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T09:55:41.95+00:00

Hi Garret Hoffman and Uchenna Chidozie

Thank you for your report on the issue. I understand your situation. As a forum moderator, I unfortunately don't have direct access to the product development process. Therefore, kindly submit your feedback via the Feedback Portal so as the developers can read your feedback.

You may consider creating a support ticket so the Technical Engineers could investigate your issue.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-25T10:07:30.93+00:00

I have tried that several times but the Microsoft AI just gives me articles on how to resolve a different issue that just happens to have the words “pivot table” and “settings” and then it doesn’t actually submit my feedback. Giving users no option to talk to a live person in real time is extremely frustrating.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T10:23:12.2466667+00:00

Hi Uchenna Chidozie

My apologies for the unpleasant experience. Thank you for your update.

Then, may I know if you've tried posting on stackoverflow.com/questions? The experienced users and technicians there may have a proper solution to your issue.

Let me know how it goes once you post on the forum.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-25T10:30:19.4933333+00:00

Yes and the consensus is that the Microsoft online is incredibly glitchy and Microsoft needs to fix their faulty products. Theirs nothing to be done on my end because it’s not user error, it’s a software issue that needs to be fixed but Microsoft has made it impossible to report.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T12:33:36.9366667+00:00

Hi Uchenna Chidozie

I understand how confusing it is on your end. To let Microsoft know about the issue while using Excel and Pivot table, I kindly asked you to submit feedback via the Excel app or the Feedback portal.

As mentioned, a forum moderator doesn't have direct access to product development or customers' backend details.

Therefore, submitting feedback and creating a support ticket are highly recommended.

My apologies for the inconvenience.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-25T12:47:48.2466667+00:00

Right and as I said, the Microsoft AI literally won't allow me to send feedback because when I try, it stops me and gives me articles that are unhelpful and sometimes it redirects me to this forum site. If the Microsoft AI would let me submit a support ticket I would have by now. I understand you don't have access to the backend but I don't have access to contact Microsoft any other way, can you forward this to the proper team on my behalf or something?
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T14:10:06.54+00:00

Hi Uchenna Chidozie

My apologies for the unpleasant experience.

As I don't have a user account in the forum, I unfortunately can't provide the feedback to the team on your behalf. I apologize for the inconvenience.

May I know which sites you tried to provide feedback and the AI stopped you? Is it the Feedback Portal, Tech community or Stack Overflow? A screenshot of it would be helpful.

Looking forward to your response.
Garret Hoffman 0 Reputation points

2025-11-25T23:08:23.5666667+00:00

It's useless Uchenna, M$ has replaced their entire support team with LLM/Generative AI Chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot.

This is the default user experience now.

The only way to fix it seems to be to make their bottom line suffer, until they realize that their poor customer service is costing them paying customers.

You'd think that microsoft's paid forum moderators would have a direct line to file bug reports on their software, but what can you do?

I don't even see a feedback link in ms excel anywhere... >_>

Answer 4

And 0

Hello,

What about the personal accounts? I have the same issue, and probably lot's of us have it, but didn't know, as they don't use Pivot Table Settings. It must be some bug in Excel for web. I've tried different browsers, even a new installed one on a retested computer, so zero cash, no add-ons, even no history. Settings doesn't show up no matter the document, even in the quite new ones. Then I've tried with my friend's personal account - same issue. The problem is not in our computers.

Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-05T11:22:46.05+00:00
Hi And

Thanks for reaching out!

To keep this thread focused on the original poster’s scenario and ensure we can track and resolve your issue efficiently, could you please create a new Q&A thread for your case?

Even when symptoms look similar, the root cause often differs by environment, account type, add-ins, and recent changes. A dedicated thread helps us avoid cross‑signals and accelerate troubleshooting.

When you open the new thread, please consider including the following details so we can jump in right away:

Outlook build and platform types (New Outlook, Outlook Web, Classic Outlook, Mobile versions,...)

Operating systems (Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android,...)

Account type (Personal or work/school account)

Exact behavior/error text (screenshots welcome; please redact personal info)

...

To create your thread: go to Microsoft Q&A, click “Ask a question”, select …..... as the product/tag, and paste the above details.

Thanks for helping keep the forum organized - we’re happy to assist and will watch for your new thread!
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-12-05T14:13:23.8233333+00:00

This person is staying on topic, you are the one that is never staying on topic. This person has the exact same issue I have, which is still unresolved. None of the trouble shooting you have offered did anything. All of the other forums you’ve suggested all say “this is a glitch in the Microsoft online software and the Microsoft technical team needs to fix the issue” but I have no method of contacting that team and you won’t contact them on my behalf.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-05T14:28:19.46+00:00

Hi Uchenna Chidozie

I appreciate your patience and understand how confusing this situation can be. However, the user mentioned they’re using a personal account, which works differently from work or school accounts. Because of this, certain settings and configurations may vary, and the specialized team might be better equipped to assist with those details.

As I shared earlier, this could be related to a back-end problem or a known issue. To investigate further, an admin would typically need to create a support request. Since you mentioned your admin isn’t always available, I suggested submitting feedback through the Feedback Portal or posting your question on Microsoft Tech Community, where experienced experts can offer guidance and possible solutions.

Lastly, as a forum moderator, I don’t have direct access or permissions to make product changes, and I’m unable to submit feedback on your behalf since I’m not the one experiencing the issue. Please know that I’m here to support you in any way I can within these limitations.

Thank you again for your understanding and for giving me the opportunity to assist.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-12-05T14:38:13.2+00:00

The person was sharing that my issue isn’t just on business account but also on personal accounts. I understand the settings between them might be different but the same glitch is happening.

All the forums you’ve suggested all say “there’s nothing that I can do because this is an issue with Microsoft’s code and they need to fix it”.

Also as stated previously, I don’t have access to the feedback center because anytime I try to leave feedback on anything through the Microsoft apps, the co-pilot ai stops me and shares useless articles with me about troubleshooting issues that aren’t related and then never lets me submit my feedback.

I understand that as forum moderators you cannot do anything that is helpful but I don’t understand why you can’t just send your coworker in another department a quick email with the link to this thread so the proper people can take care of it. Dealing with Microsoft has been a bureaucratic nightmare and I’m sick of AI getting in the way of my work.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-05T15:05:58.57+00:00

Hi Uchenna Chidozie

Thank you for explaining your situation in detail. I completely understand your frustration, especially when the issue affects both business and personal accounts and appears to be a Microsoft-side glitch.

To clarify: as a forum moderator, I do not have access to internal engineering channels or the ability to escalate issues directly to Microsoft’s product teams. This is because official escalation requires telemetry and verification tied to affected accounts or tenants, which ensures security and compliance.

I understand your concern about the Feedback option being blocked by automated responses. While I cannot bypass that system, kindly submit your feedback via Excel | Microsoft Community Hub. These threads are monitored by Microsoft engineers and MVPs who can confirm if this is a known bug and share timelines or workarounds.

If the in-app feedback option is blocked, you can submit feedback directly via the web at Excel · Community.This bypasses the in-app AI and sends your report to the product team.

I understand this feels bureaucratic, and I truly wish I could email the engineering team directly for you. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s process requires reports to come through official channels so they can link them to telemetry and prioritize fixes.

Thank you for your patience and for giving me the opportunity to assist within these limitations.
And 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T16:49:48.3933333+00:00

Thanks for the advises!
Guys, the forum is obviously useless for cases like this, and there’s no point in tormenting the moderators by pouring all our anger onto them. Just as this issue is not a problem with our browsers, the moderators are not to blame for Microsoft’s absurd system for support, feedback, and resolving real issues — they can only provide some guidance.

This forum clearly plays no role in solving problems within the system itself, it doesn’t even submit reports. However, Microsoft has many large corporate clients, so surely someone must have managed to pass through the nine circles of hell and file a report. So I hope the issue gets fixed soon, and in the meantime we’ll be experiencing the downsides of being customers of a monopoly.

Answer 5

Phoebe-N 6,805 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Uchenna Chidozie

Welcome to the Q&A Community!

Thank you for contacting us regarding the issue you are experiencing with PivotTable settings in Excel for the web. I understand that when you right-click on a PivotTable and select “Show Settings,” nothing happens, and the Field List disappears. This behavior occurs across all documents, including newly created ones.

To assist you effectively, I would like to gather some additional information:

Are you signed in with a personal account (e.g., @hotmail.com, @outlook.com), an education account (e.g., @school.edu), or a work account (e.g., @yourcompany.com)?
Which browser and version are you currently using (for example, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome)? Have you tested this behavior in an incognito or private browsing session?
Do you have any browser extensions installed, such as ad blockers or script blockers?
May I know which exact steps you took to try solving the issue?
Have you updated Excel to the latest version?
Do you know if the issue happens to anyone else in your organization?

Based on the information provided so far, in case you haven't tried these steps, kindly follow the instructions below:

Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Corrupted cache files can cause interface issues. Please clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then restart the browser and sign back into Office 365.

Disable Browser Extensions

Extensions such as ad blockers or script blockers can interfere with the loading of settings panes. Temporarily disable all extensions and reload Excel for the web.

In case you're using Microsoft Edge, kindly follow the steps in this article Add, turn off, or remove extensions in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Support

Test in Private Browsing Mode

Open Excel for the web in an incognito or private browsing window to rule out cached scripts or session conflicts.

Check Display Settings

Ensure your browser zoom level is set to 100 percent and verify that your screen resolution is not causing the pane to appear off-screen.

Repair the Office app (for Windows 10 & 11)

Try repairing the app with instructions via this article Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

Use the Desktop Application as a Temporary Workaround

If the issue persists, open the file in the Excel desktop application by selecting “Open in Desktop App” from the ribbon. This will allow you to format your PivotTable without interruption.

Please provide the requested details so we can proceed with further troubleshooting.

Looking forward to hearing from you with any updates or additional details.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-22T00:11:47.0166667+00:00

I’m using a business account “@companyname.org”. I’m hoping to resolve the issue in 365 as it’s a shared document that may need to be able to use in 365. I changed no settings, it’s just stopped showing in the middle of editing a document. I’ve been able to it before today. None of the above trouble shooting has resolved the issue.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-22T01:16:11.3233333+00:00
Hello @Uchenna Chidozie

Thank you for confirming the details and for trying the recommended troubleshooting steps. Since the issue persists after trying all troubleshooting steps given and you are using a business account with shared documents in Microsoft 365, this may be related to a backend or service-side issue rather than a local configuration.

At this point, the best course of action is to create a support ticket with Microsoft 365 Support so they can investigate further on the backend. This will allow them to check for any tenant-specific issues or service disruptions that may be affecting PivotTable functionality.

The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics.

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Navigate to Support > New Service Request.

Provide the following details:

Issue: PivotTable Settings pane not appearing in Excel for the web.

Steps already taken: Browser cache cleared, extensions disabled, tested in private mode, tried multiple browsers, and confirmed issue persists across documents.

Impact: Shared document functionality is affected for business use.

For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

If you do not have admin access, please contact your Microsoft 365 administrator to submit the ticket on your behalf.

For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support  

In the meantime, you can continue working by opening the file in the Excel Desktop App using the “Open in Desktop App” option in the ribbon. Changes will sync back to the online version.

Please let me know once the ticket has been created so I can assist with any additional details or follow-up.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-22T03:49:16.0533333+00:00
it does not sync online because when I make changes on the desktop it tells me online that "some features are not available on 365" and it reverts all my changes.

the point of me setting things up on 365 is so that they work for everyone online without having to constantly switch between the online and desktop apps

Is there a way to talk to a real person? I'm sick of the incorrect AI generated responses

there needs to be a way for people to contact tech support without having to go through our admin every time, not all of our admins have the time for that.

When there is an issue with your product, and I report the issue, my understanding is that someone is going to work to resolve the issue, not just assume that I'm the one doing it wrong.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-22T04:16:04.5433333+00:00

Hi @Uchenna Chidozie

Thank you for sharing your concerns and for explaining the challenges you are facing. I understand how important it is for your team to have full functionality in Microsoft 365 online without reverting changes.

As a forum moderator, I unfortunately do not have direct access to backend systems or tenant-specific data, which means I am unable to resolve this issue from my side. Since you are using a business account, Microsoft requires verification and access to tenant-level information that only someone with administrative permissions can provide. Microsoft Support needs to confirm account ownership and review tenant-level logs to diagnose and resolve backend issues. This information is only available to users with administrative permissions in your organization.

For this reason, the next step is to contact Microsoft Support or the Data Protection team through the appropriate channels.

Please ask your administrator to call Microsoft Support using the official phone numbers listed on the Microsoft website: Global Customer Service Phone Numbers.

When calling, please wait until the automated response has finished. If an agent is available, you will then be connected and receive assistance. Calls should be made during standard business hours for your region.

I also apologize for making you feel that I'm blaming you on the issue. However, to investigate the issue and provide proper solution, I must have confirmation from users if they have performed certain troubleshooting steps, then we could go for more advanced ones.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-22T04:23:04.2866667+00:00

I understand that's the process you have in place but I'm say those "appropriate channels" aren't always accessible or sustainable for most organizations. Like right now, I'm having this issue and the Global admin is out of the office so because of that, I cannot resolve this issue before the deadline. There needs to be a way for regular staff to be able to contact support outside of these forums, because although you cannot resolve my issue, this is the recourse I have.
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-22T04:55:36.0366667+00:00
Hi @Uchenna Chidozie

I completely understand the urgency and the challenge when administrative channels are not immediately accessible. While Microsoft requires admin permissions for backend troubleshooting due to security and data protection policies, I want to ensure you have every possible resource to move forward.

Since I do not have access to backend systems as a forum moderator, and the issue appears to be service-related, the most effective resolution will still require contacting Microsoft Support through the Admin Center when your administrator is available.

In the meantime, I recommend posting your query on the Microsoft Tech Community

This platform is actively monitored by Microsoft engineers, MVPs, and Excel experts who specialize in PivotTables. They may be able to provide advanced workarounds or insights that can help you meet your deadline.

Please include the following details in your post for the best assistance:

A description of the issue (PivotTable settings pane not appearing in Excel for the web).

Confirmation that troubleshooting steps such as clearing cache, disabling extensions, and testing in multiple browsers have been attempted.

The impact on shared documents and collaboration.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Uchenna Chidozie 125 Reputation points

2025-11-23T15:13:30.1133333+00:00

.....
Phoebe-N 6,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-24T12:18:01.0633333+00:00

Hi @Uchenna Chidozie

May I know if you've successfully post your feedback on Microsoft Tech Community? If you have and there are no response, please consider posting on this website as well: stackoverflow.com/questions

There are also experienced users in this forum who can help with the issue.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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Pivot Table setting wont appear

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