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Aggregation Overrides

The aggregation override feature allows you to change how subtotals are calculated in a worksheet, replacing the defined in the Data Model Designer . This gives you flexibility to tailor calculations for your analysis without changing the underlying data model.

Aggregation overrides are especially useful for ad hoc analysis, enabling you to answer specific questions quickly and accurately—no structural changes required.

When to use aggregation overrides​

  • Making subtotal adjustments on the fly: Change how subtotals are calculated in the worksheet—for flexibility or quick experimentation—without updating the data model.
  • Switching from sum to average: Analyze metrics such as average sales per region or average order value.
  • Counting unique entries : Use Count Distinct to count unique customers, products, or transactions instead of total occurrences.
  • Displaying percent of total: Use % of Total to show each value’s share within a group, such as a product’s portion of total sales.

Apply or change an override​

  1. Right-click a field in the Columns section.
  2. Select Aggregation.
  3. Choose a new function from the dropdown list. Options vary depending on the field’s data type.
    The worksheet updates automatically.

Visual indicators of override​

When an override has been applied:

  • A blue dot appears above the field’s icon.
  • The aggregation menu displays both the chosen function and a Default label to indicate the original subtotal.

Aggregation Options​

The following table shows which aggregation options are available for each data type.

Data TypeAggregation Option
CharacterNone, Minimum, Maximum, Count, Count Distinct.
Number / Numeric / Integer — MeasureNone, Sum, Average, Minimum, Maximum, Count, Count Distinct, Percentage of Total.
Number / Numeric / Integer — DimensionNone, Minimum, Maximum, Count, Count Distinct.
BooleanNone, Count, Count Distinct.
Date / TimeNone, Minimum, Maximum, Count, Count Distinct.

Reset an override​

You can reset the aggregation to the one selected in the Data Model Designer.

  1. Right-click a field in the Columns section.
  2. Select Aggregation, then Reset.

Aggregation override limitations​

  • Not available for user-calculated columns, calculated pivots, or columns with subtotal set to OnCalcul.
  • Not supported on columns with subtotal None in Pie charts.
  • Overrides may be lost when switching to these view types:
    • Range Bar, Bullet
    • Tree Map, Word Cloud, Gauge, Sparkline
    • Scatter, Bubble
    • OHLC, Candlestick
    • Polar