Are Dynamic Array formulas like FILTER and UNIQUE better than Pivot Tables for live dashboards?

All answers to this question.

Dynamic arrays are superior for "live" feel, but they serve a different purpose than Pivot Tables. Functions like FILTER and UNIQUE allow your data to "spill" into adjacent cells automatically. If you add a new sale to your table, a FILTER-based dashboard updates instantly without a refresh. However, Pivot Tables are still much better for handling massive amounts of data (100k+ rows) and for multidimensional grouping. If your dashboard needs to be interactive for a user who doesn't know formulas, a Pivot Table with Slicers is often more intuitive. For my high-end reports, I use Power Query to clean the data and then Dynamic Arrays to display it.

   Answered 2024-03-20 by Barbara Wilson

If I use a lot of "Spill" formulas, how do I prevent the #SPILL error from happening when a user accidentally types something in a nearby cell?

   Answered 2024-03-25 by Thomas Moore

• Thomas, you can't "prevent" the error if the space is occupied, but you can design around it. We use "Protected Sheets" for the display area so users can't type in the spill range. Also, always leave more empty rows than you think you need below a dynamic formula. You can also wrap them in IFERROR to give a custom message like "Please clear space for data."

     Commented 2024-03-28 by William Clark

I find Dynamic Arrays much easier for building custom charts. Since the range updates itself, the chart series expands automatically without needing Named Ranges.

   Answered 2024-04-02 by Elizabeth Martinez

• That’s a huge advantage, Elizabeth. Auto-expanding charts via dynamic arrays saved me hours of manual range adjustments in my monthly board decks.

     Commented 2024-04-05 by Robert Taylor