Slicers provide interactivity to pivot tables. The simplest definition is that they are replacements for pivot table filters, but that doesn’t do them justice. Slicers don’t have to be tied to filters, and a slicer can be applied without creating a filter. The key is that slicers are generally easier to use than filters for end users. Some examples of this include:
When multiple filters are applied at the same level (such as the Year and Period column filters on our Revenue pivot), it can be confusing to the user to select the right level to change the filter.
Slicers follow the familiar pattern of using the Shift key to select all items in a range and the Ctrl key to select non-sequential items.
Slicers can be shared across multiple pivot tables, so one change by the user can affect data in several tables. Filters don’t work this way.
Slicers provide greater formatting options, making it easier to build a good-looking dashboard. They can also be formatted with an Excel...