I ran a macro and found error pivot table. But strangely that sheet doesn't have any Pivot or its hidden. Is there a way I can find and Delete this Pivot ?

Cannot Group That Selection Error in Excel Pivot Tables

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2: Unmerge Cells in the Source Data Range

Sometimes we merge cells in our dataset; that is, we join one or more cells into one big cell.

We do this when for example, we want to create labels that span several columns.

If you try to create a Pivot Table based on a data range that has merged cells, Excel returns the ‘Pivot Table field name is not valid‘ warning message.

The following dataset has merged cells in columns C and D.

Merge or Unmerge Cells in Excel [Shortcut]

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3: Restore the Deleted Source Table/Date Range

One may inadvertently delete the data range after inserting a Pivot Table.

If you try to refresh a Pivot Table based on a deleted Table or Data range, you will get the warning message that the Pivot table field name is not valid.

For example, we have the following Pivot Table:

Change Count to Sum in Excel Pivot Table

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4: Select Only the Data Range with Data, Not the Entire Worksheet

Sometimes those who are just beginning to create Pivot Tables in Excel make the mistake of selecting the entire worksheet instead of only the data range with data.

Data Source Reference is Not Valid Error in Excel

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5: Delete Empty Columns in Source Data Range

Sometimes after inserting a Pivot Table, one may mistakenly insert empty columns in the source data range.

Then, when you try to refresh the Pivot Table, you get the warning message that the Pivot field name is not valid.

For example, we have the following Pivot Table.

Let’s insert an empty column in its source data range:

Right-click any cell in the Pivot Table and select Refresh on the shortcut menu that appears:

Instead of the Pivot Table getting refreshed, we get the warning message that the Pivot Table field name is not valid.

We need to delete the empty column so that the Pivot Table can be refreshed.

Right-click the letter header of the blank column and select Delete on the shortcut menu that appears.

We can then refresh the Pivot Table successfully.

This tutorial has shown various ways of resolving the “Pivot Table field name is not valid” error in Excel. The methods include:

• Label any column in the source data range that does not have a label.
• Unmerge all merged cells in the data range.
• Restore the deleted data range.
• Delete any blank columns in the data range.

I hope this tutorial helped you in getting an understanding of why you were getting the error and how to fix it.