If you encounter a greyed-out slicer while working with a PivotTable, it’s not an error—it’s Excel providing you with valuable information. A greyed-out slicer indicates that some selections in your data, either from filters or slicers, render the current option unavailable. Understanding this behaviour can help you navigate your PivotTable data more efficiently.
Table of contents
YouTube: Excel slicer greyed out
What does a greyed-out slicer mean?
When a slicer is greyed out, it signals that a selected filter or slicer makes the corresponding data irrelevant. For example, if you filter a PivotTable by city (e.g., London) and attempt to use a slicer to check sales for a person (e.g., Ben), the slicer may grey out if Ben made no sales in London. This helps you avoid selecting combinations that yield no results. In the image below, the slicer immediately shows that Ben’s sales are irrelevant, saving you the effort of exploring further.
How to check what’s causing the greyed-out slicer
Filters and slicers applied across the workbook can lead to greyed-out slicers. To identify the source:
- Click anywhere in the PivotTable to activate the PivotTable Field List (right hand side of image below).
- Look for fields with filters applied, as indicated by small filter icons next to them (red arrows).
- Clear the filters by selecting Clear Filter from Field for each affected field.
In the example below, filters applied to city and product fields cause the slicer to grey out for certain selections. Removing these filters restores full functionality to the slicer.
Why this is useful
Greyed-out slicers offer immediate visual feedback, showing which options are irrelevant under the current filters. This feature is especially helpful when analyzing large datasets. Instead of manually checking combinations, you can see at a glance what is and isn’t possible. For example, selecting a city in the slicer immediately reveals which products or salespeople are relevant, streamlining your analysis.
Hidden slicers and their effects
In some cases, slicers linked to your PivotTable might be on other sheets, making it unclear why certain options are greyed out. To resolve this, revisit the PivotTable Field List and inspect all fields for filters. Clearing these filters restores clarity and allows you to use the slicer as intended. You may also want to find the slicer that is hidden and make it more obvious it is having an affect on the Pivot Table.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Inspect filters: Use the PivotTable Field List to identify and clear filters causing issues.
- Clear all slicers: If unsure of the source, reset all slicers linked to the PivotTable.
- Check linked slicers: Ensure that hidden slicers on other sheets aren’t unintentionally affecting your data.
- Simplify slicer use: Start with broad selections and refine filters gradually to avoid greyed-out options.