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SUM

Aggregation

Add up a range of numbers — the first function anyone learns and still the most-used.

Difficulty

Beginner
Excel file

1What is it?

SUM adds all the numbers in one or more ranges. It's the function you reach for before any other, and it's forgiving: text and blank cells in the range are simply skipped, so a stray label at the top of a column won't break the total. You can point it at a single column, a whole block, or several separate ranges at once.

2What it looks like

SUM(number1, [number2], …)
number1
The first number or range to add (usually a column like B2:B13).
[number2], …
Optional more numbers or ranges — up to 255, and they don't have to be next to each other.

3When you use it

  • Total a column of amounts — the everyday roll-up.
  • Add several non-adjacent ranges at once: =SUM(B2:B10, D2:D10).
  • Build a running total with an anchored start: =SUM($B$2:B2) filled down.

4See it in action

Change the inputs — the formula and result update live. Prefer the real thing? Download the Excel file and open it in Excel.

Add up the amounts in B2:B5. Edit any cell and the total follows.

C2
fx
=SUM(B2:B5)$350,000
ABC
1MonthAmountResult
2Jan$350,000
3Feb
4Mar
5Apr

The lime cell holds the formula — click it (or any cell) to see its contents in the bar above, just like Excel. Edit the blue cells to watch it recompute.

5Common errors

Total looks lowSome numbers are stored as text (left-aligned, often from a paste or import).

Fix: SUM silently skips text — convert with VALUE(), multiply by 1, or use the green-triangle 'Convert to Number' fix.

#VALUE!A cell you reference directly (not as a range) contains an error.

Fix: SUM ignores text but passes through error values — trace and fix the upstream #DIV/0!/#N/A.

#REF!A cell inside the SUM was deleted.

Fix: Re-point the range at valid cells.

6Better functions & alternatives

  • SUMIFS — Add only the rows that meet one or more conditions.
  • SUBTOTAL — Total just the visible rows after a filter.
  • AutoSum (Alt + =) — Drop a SUM below a column in one keystroke — see the AutoSum shortcut.

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