Count and Sum by Color is a helpful Excel add-in that lets you instantly calculate cells of the same tint. On this page, you will find out how to use the tool to sum and count the colored data in your spreadsheet.
If you work with tables that have color-coded cells, see the details below for a quick way to count them.
Open the Excel worksheet where you need to count cells by color and click the Sum by Color icon in the Calculate group on the Ablebits Tools tab:
Pick one of two tools in the drop-down list:
Use this utility to calculate cell data based on the selected color.
After picking the first option, you will see the Count and Sum by One Color pane.
This tool will give you a quick overview of color-coded data in your table. For example, if you use different hues to highlight prices from the vendors, the utility will sum cells by color and show you the total for any group of numbers.
To count colored cells in Excel, open the worksheet with your data and run Sum and Count by All Colors:
The add-in selects the entire data range in your worksheet automatically. You can change the range by entering the new address manually or selecting it in you sheet.
When the range is chosen, click Calculate and see the results straight on the pane:
It was very good and the video showed how to count by color. It was my first time so it was good
Hi Vedant,
thank you for your kind feedback!
Have file with 501 rows and 87 rows - the sum by color tool seems to hang, the file closes abruptly and if reopen again get a message file locked by user even though file closed . on reopening get message that file is locked by user . I need to reboot to work on the original file
Hello,
Thank you for using Sum by Color and for your message. In order we could solve the problem you face, please contact the support team at support@ablebits.com and let us know the following information:
1. Please describe in detail the steps you take before your file closes, which actions do you perform?
2. Does this happen only when you use the Sum by Color tool?
3. Please make a screenshot of the message you get when you reopen the file.
We will do your best to help you as soon as possible.
Thank you.
I want to be able to sum all cells adjacent to colored cell? Is that possible? So basically the colored cell tells me which cell to add from.
Hi, Matt,
Thank you for using the Count and Sum by Color utility.
The tool sums cells by color, so you can first color the cells you need to sum and then use the add-in. Unfortunately, there is no way to sum noncolored cells adjacent to colored ones with the help of Count and Sum by Color.
Thank you.
Ok I have columns with color data. I want to count the number of cells that are green, etc and put these totals at the bottom of the worksheet. I want this to be shown as a formula so that I do not have to write it for the over 100 columns of data.
Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for your interest in our product. To my regret, the Count and Sum by Color tool does not paste the results of the calculations as formulas, only as values. But I want to thank you for this idea, we will think of ways to implement this feature in our future releases.
Please feel free to contact us with any other questions!
In normal Excel formulae,
you can have the = button and insert the cells you need to calculate. So that even when the value in the cells selected changes, the = value will update according.
My issue now is that although the tool is great, it doesn't provide this flexibility. I am designing a spreadsheet with the goal of allowing my Finance manager to autonomously use the spreadsheet designed without any interference from me.
The calculation has to be done manually. Is there a way I can just insert the sum function and my finance dept can key-in the value and the = value automatically changes?
Hi Alvin J,
Thank you for your feedback on the Count and Sum by Color utility. I understand your task, but there is no such functionality in the tool to automatically recalculate colored cells. However, we will think of ways to implement it in our future releases.
Thank you.
I need the combination of what Alvin and Jeffrey said.
Can you say when this will be available?
Hi Maurice,
Thank you for the comment. We have looked into these requests, and we do not plan to implement such features yet. The thing is that these functionalities will require to have Ultimate Suite installed on all machines on which you open workbooks with such functions.
Thank you.
Hello Irina,
So what you're saying that if we buy the Ultimate Suite we will be able to Sum by Color as a formula within the workbook and not have to do it cell by cell?
If this is the case, please let us know, since it is a function that, I for one, am very interested in.
Cheers,
Hello Jose,
Thank you for your question.
Our support team assistant has just replied to you via an email. Please check your Inbox for our email. Thank you.
I want to sum all cells with background color yellow
Hello Dries,
If your task is only to sum the cells with the background colored in yellow, please note that our tool will perform all the calculations, but after that you can paste just the summing result in your table. See this part of the instructions above.
Count and Sum by Color comes as a part of our Ultimate Suite for Excel. You can install its fully functional trial version and test the tool out during 30 days for free. Here is the direct download link.
If you have any questions or need further assistance with the add-in, please email to support@ablebits.com.
How do I get it to re-calculate each time values are changed in the range?
And how do I copy this formula to each different column if I only want the sum of that column?
Hello Ada,
You see, the add-in returns the result as a value, not a formula. To recalculate everything, you will have to run the add-in anew.
Hence, for each new column, you will also have to select it and calculate the results separately.
I will forward these feature requests to our developers for further consideration.
I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
i have a file that has colored rows (same color) while some of the rows are not colored, i would like to know the formula to know how many rows has the color
Hello Usman,
Thank you for your comment. Our Count and Sum by Color tool will count the colored cells, not rows. As a workaround, you may select one of the rows and count the colored cells there to find out the number of colored rows in your sheet.
If however, you want to know more about Excel formulas and functions, please have a look at our blog: https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/
Have you implemented a way to have "sum by color" auto calculate when the cells are changed?
Andy
Hello Andrew,
Thank you for your comment. Sorry, this functionality is unavailable yet. The current version of the add-in pastes the result as a value, not a formula so if you need to recalculate it, you will have to run the add-in again.
The recalculate feature is in our developers' roadmap, but we cannot give any timing in its release yet. Sorry.
