How do you unpivot in Google Sheets?
Unpivot turns wide columns into attribute-value rows, common in Power Query. In Google Sheets, use formulas such as SPLIT, QUERY, FLATTEN, or ARRAYFORMULA patterns, or an add-on for large tables. Apps Script works when the layout is fixed.
When to use it
Use unpivot-style formulas when Excel Power Query melted survey or month columns into rows.
When to skip it
Skip unpivoting when the wide layout is what your chart or pivot already expects.
Better Sheets resources
Related blog posts
Guides that explain Unpivot in more depth.
Related terms
QUERY
QUERY runs a SQL-like statement against a range of cells and returns a new table of results. You pass a data range, a query string with SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, and optional headers. It is the fastest way to filter, sort, group, and pivot sheet data without helper columns.
Read guide →FLATTEN
FLATTEN converts a two-dimensional range into a single column, reading across rows then down. It is useful after SPLIT or when you need every value from a block in one list for UNIQUE, COUNTIF, or mail merge prep.
Read guide →Pivot table
A pivot table summarizes a large table without writing SUMIFS for every combination. Drag fields into rows, columns, values, and filters to count deals by rep, sum revenue by month, or average scores by classroom. The pivot updates when you refresh the source range or change the pivot cache.
Read guide →importing data into Sheets
Importing means pulling external data into a spreadsheet tab: from a file upload, another Google Sheet, a published CSV URL, or a function like IMPORTRANGE. The import dialog controls separator, locale, and whether new rows replace or append existing data.
Read guide →Done reading about Unpivot?
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