PivotTable Field Name Is Not Valid

Sometimes when you try to create a Pivot table in Excel, it gives the following error:
The PivotTable field name is not valid. To create a PivotTable report, you must use data that is organized as a list with labeled columns. If you are changing the name of a PivotTable field, you must type a new name for the field.


The error message is as obscure as possible. The most probable reason why you can’t create a Pivot is having a blank cell in the first (header) row of your table. You may not see it, but it is there. Try scrolling the table, unhiding columns, etc., until you find and fill it.

Please note that this happens only if you click to create PivotTable first, and select the range while inside the Create PivotTable window.
If you select the range first with your mouse and then click create PivotTable, the table will be created missing columns with empty headers. Keep that in mind.

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