Edit default layout

Question

I discovered the issue with Custom Lists for Pivot Table.

I found out how to disable it, yet in my 2019 Office edit default layout is disabled?

How do I enable this please?

Answer 1

Hello Paul Steel,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum

I understand you’re trying to enable the Edit Default Layout option for PivotTables in Office 2019, but the button is currently disabled.

The “Edit Default Layout” feature is not available in Office 2019 (perpetual). This option only appears in Microsoft 365 and Excel 2019/2021 after Microsoft pushed a feature update to subscription users — not to perpetual-license Office 2019. That’s why you can see online guides mentioning the feature, but the button in your Excel 2019 is greyed out.

Even though you cannot use the “Edit Default Layout” button, you still have these options:

1. Manually change layout per PivotTable
   • Select your PivotTable
   • Go to Design → Report Layout → Show in Tabular Form
   • Set Subtotals → Do Not Show Subtotals
   • Choose Repeat All Item Labels (if needed)
2. If you want classic/tabular layout every time, you can use a small macro:

      Sub PivotTableClassic()Sub Pivot
       Dim pt As PivotTable
       For Each pt In ActiveSheet.PivotTables
       pt.InGridDropZones = True
       pt.RowAxisLayout xlTabularRow
       Next pt
   

   This doesn’t change the default, but it saves time.
3. If you want the full “Edit Default Layout” feature: You would need Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021 with current updates, as those versions receive ongoing feature additions, including the Default Layout editor.

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Answer 2

To enable the default layout for a PivotTable in Office 2019, you may need to check the settings related to the PivotTable layout. The default behavior of PivotTables is to adjust row and column sizes as needed, which can be managed through the PivotLayout.autoFormat property. If this property is set to false, it may prevent the default layout from being applied properly.

Additionally, ensure that you are using the correct version of the Office suite that supports the features you are trying to access. If the layout options are disabled, it might also be due to the specific settings or restrictions in your current environment or document.

If you continue to experience issues, consider checking for any updates to your Office installation or consulting the help resources available within Excel for further troubleshooting steps.