by Alexander Frolov, updated on
This tutorial shows how to sum a column in Excel 2010 - 2016. Try out 5 different ways to total columns: find the sum of the selected cells on the Status bar, use AutoSum in Excel to sum all or only filtered cells, employ the SUM function or convert your range to Table for easy calculations.
If you store such data as price lists or expense sheets in Excel, you may need a quick way to sum up prices or amounts. Today I'll show you how to easily total columns in Excel. In this article, you'll find tips that work for summing up the entire column as well as hints allowing to sum only filtered cells in Excel.
Below you can see 5 different suggestions showing how to sum a column in Excel. You can do this with the help of the Excel SUM and AutoSum options, you can use Subtotal or turn your range of cells into Excel Table which will open new ways of processing your data.
There is one really fast option. Just click on the letter of the column with the numbers you want to sum and look at the Excel Status bar to see the total of the selected cells.
Being really quick, this method neither allows copying nor displays numeric digits.
If you want to sum up a column in Excel and keep the result in your table, you can employ the AutoSum function. It will automatically add up the numbers and will show the total in the cell you select.
This method is fast and lets you automatically get and keep the summing result in your table.
You can also enter the SUM function manually. Why would you need this? To total only some of the cells in a column or to specify an address for a large range instead of selecting it manually.
=sum(
to this selected cell.Tip. You can enter the range address manually like =sum(B1:B2000)
. It's helpful if you have large ranges for calculation.
That's it! You will see the column summed. The total will appear in the correct cell.
This option is really handy if you have a large column to sum in Excel and don't want to highlight the range. However, you still need to enter the function manually. In addition, please be prepared that the SUM function will work even with the values from hidden and filtered rows. If you want to sum visible cells only, read on and learn how.
Tips:
This feature is perfect for totaling only the visible cells. As a rule, these are filtered or hidden cells.
If you want to sum visible cells but don't need the total to be pasted to your table, you can select the range and see the sum of the selected cells on the Excel Status bar. Or you can go ahead and see one more option for summing only filtered cells.
If you often need to sum columns, you can convert your spreadsheet to Excel Table. This will simplify totaling columns and rows as well as performing many other operations with your list.
This feature adds up only visible (filtered) cells. If you need to calculate all data, feel free to employ instructions from How to total columns in Excel with AutoSum and Enter the SUM function manually to total the column.
Whether you need to sum the entire column in Excel or total only visible cells, in this article I covered all possible solutions. Choose an option that will work for your table: check the sum on the Excel Status bar, use the SUM or SUBTOTAL function, check out the AutoSum functionality or format your data as Table.
If you have any questions or difficulties, don't hesitate to leave comments. Be happy and excel in Excel!
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