There are two main ways to connect PivotTables to external data sources in Excel:

1. Using an Existing Connection:

If you've already established a connection to your external data source (e.g., database, text file), you can leverage that connection to create a PivotTable. Here's how:

* Click the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon.
* In the Tables group, click PivotTable.
* In the Create PivotTable dialog box, under Choose the data source, select Use an external data source.
* Click Choose Connection.
* In the Existing Connections dialog box, select the existing connection to your desired data source and click Open.
* (Optional) If your data source requires specific settings (e.g., table name, query), you might see additional configuration options. Follow the prompts to define your data selection.
* Click OK.
* Choose the cell where you want your PivotTable to be placed in your worksheet and click OK.

2. Creating a New Connection:

If you haven't set up a connection yet, you can create a new one directly while creating the PivotTable. Here's how:

* Follow steps 1 and 2 from the previous method (Insert tab > PivotTable).
* In the Create PivotTable dialog box, under Choose the data source, select Use an external data source.
* Click Choose Connection.
* Instead of selecting an existing connection, choose the appropriate option for your data source (e.g., From Database, From Text/CSV).
* Follow the specific connection wizard for your chosen data source type. This might involve entering server details, selecting databases/tables, or specifying file paths.
* Once the connection is established, click OK. (Optional configuration steps might follow as mentioned earlier).
* Click OK to proceed with PivotTable creation.

Additional Tips:

* Make sure you have the necessary permissions and drivers to access the external data source.
* You can edit or refresh the connection later by right-clicking anywhere in the PivotTable and selecting Change Data Source > Edit Connection.
* For complex data sources, you might need to write queries to define the specific data to be pulled into the PivotTable.

By following these steps, you can connect your PivotTables to various external data sources, allowing you to analyze and summarize information from different locations without manually copying or importing data.