Total in excel sheet

Total the data in an Excel table

You can quickly total data in an Excel table by enabling the Total Row option, and then use one of several functions that are provided in a drop-down list for each table column. The Total Row default selections use the SUBTOTAL function, which allow you to include or ignore hidden table rows, however you can also use other functions.

1. Click anywhere inside the table.

2. Go to Table Tools > Design, and select the check box for Total Row.

   

3. The Total Row is inserted at the bottom of your table.

   

   Note: If you apply formulas to a total row, then toggle the total row off and on, Excel will remember your formulas. In the previous example we had already applied the SUM function to the total row. When you apply a total row for the first time, the cells will be empty.

4. Select the column you want to total, then select an option from the drop-down list. In this case, we applied the SUM function to each column:

   

   You’ll see that Excel created the following formula: =SUBTOTAL(109,[Midwest]). This is a SUBTOTAL function for SUM, and it is also a Structured Reference formula, which is exclusive to Excel tables. Learn more about Using structured references with Excel tables.

   You can also apply a different function to the total value, by selecting the More Functions option, or writing your own.

   Note: If you want to copy a total row formula to an adjacent cell in the total row, drag the formula across using the fill handle. This will update the column references accordingly and display the correct value. If you copy and paste a formula in the total row, it will not update the column references as you copy across, and will result in inaccurate values.

You can quickly total data in an Excel table by enabling the Total Row option, and then use one of several functions that are provided in a drop-down list for each table column. The Total Row default selections use the SUBTOTAL function, which allow you to include or ignore hidden table rows, however you can also use other functions.

1. Click anywhere inside the table.

2. Go to Table > Total Row.

   

3. The Total Row is inserted at the bottom of your table.

   

   Note: If you apply formulas to a total row, then toggle the total row off and on, Excel will remember your formulas. In the previous example we had already applied the SUM function to the total row. When you apply a total row for the first time, the cells will be empty.

4. Select the column you want to total, then select an option from the drop-down list. In this case, we applied the SUM function to each column:

   

   You’ll see that Excel created the following formula: =SUBTOTAL(109,[Midwest]). This is a SUBTOTAL function for SUM, and it is also a Structured Reference formula, which is exclusive to Excel tables. Learn more about Using structured references with Excel tables.

   You can also apply a different function to the total value, by selecting the More Functions option, or writing your own.

   Note: If you want to copy a total row formula to an adjacent cell in the total row, drag the formula across using the fill handle. This will update the column references accordingly and display the correct value. If you copy and paste a formula in the total row, it will not update the column references as you copy across, and will result in inaccurate values.

You can quickly total data in an Excel table by enabling the Toggle Total Row option.

1. Click anywhere inside the table.

2. Click the Table Design tab > Style Options > Total Row.

   The Total row is inserted at the bottom of your table.

Set the aggregate function for a Total Row cell

Note: This is one of several beta features, and currently only available to a portion of Office Insiders at this time. We’ll continue to optimize these features over the next several months. When they’re ready, we’ll release them to all Office Insiders, and Microsoft 365 subscribers.

The Totals Row lets you pick which aggregate function to use for each column.

1. Click the cell in the Totals Row under the column you want to adjust, then click the drop-down that appears next to the cell.

2. Select an aggregate function to use for the column. Note that you can click More Functions to see additional options.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Overview of Excel tables

Video: Create an Excel table

Create or delete an Excel table

Format an Excel table

Resize a table by adding or removing rows and columns

Filter data in a range or table

Convert a table to a range

Using structured references with Excel tables

Subtotal and total fields in a PivotTable report

Subtotal and total fields in a PivotTable

Excel table compatibility issues

Export an Excel table to SharePoint

Tables are one of the best features of Excel. While it is possible to use the standard cell referencing with a Table, they have their own referencing style called structured references. We have to think a little differently to create a running total in an Excel Table using structured references.

We will look at all the options in this post.

Download the example file

I recommend you download the example file for this post. Then you’ll be able to work along with examples and see the solution in action, plus the file will be helpful for future reference.

Download the file: 0075Running Totals in Excel Tables.zip

Watch the video

Watch the video on YouTube.

The example

All the scenarios in this post use the same Table. The goal is to:

• Create a running total in the Running Total column
• Ensure values calculate correctly when rows are added or deleted

Normal cell references

We could use normal cell references in either the A1 or R1C1 style. For this, there are two common options (1) Cell above + value (2) Expanding range with mixed references.

Method #1: Cell above + value

The purpose of a Table is to use the same formula in each row of the column. Therefore, it is not possible to just use the cell above plus the value method.

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=D1+C2

The result of the formula is #VALUE!; Cell D1 is a text value, which cannot be added to a number using a basic calculation.

However, the SUM function ignores text values; therefore, by using SUM with a comma (known as the Union Operator), the text value will be calculated as a zero. This avoids the #VALUE! error.

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=SUM(D1,C2)

The result of this formula is a running total in each row of the Running Total column.

Rather than SUM, you could also use the N function. This returns zero if the cell reference within it is not a number; otherwise, it returns the number. For example, if Cell D2 contained the following formula, it would also create a running total.

=N(D1)+C2

However, both methods all fall short when rows are deleted. The screenshot below shows the result after Row 4 has been deleted.

As you can see by the #REF! error, this method does not work when rows are deleted. This does not meet the requirements we wanted.

Method #2: Expanding range with mixed references

There is another method we can take using standard ranges that uses mixed references.

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=SUM($C$2:C2))

This method creates an expanding range for each row in the Table.

So, if you delete a row, it still works… perfect! Or is it? The problem comes when you add a new row of data to the bottom:

There isn’t an obvious problem at the start. But, take a look at cell D17; what is the formula that has been automatically copied down? The formula references cell C18 (the last row of the Table), which is incorrect.

=SUM($C$2:C18)

Using this method, adding rows causes the formulas to expand to include the last row, which creates a calculation issue. Therefore, this isn’t a suitable method either.

Structured references

We really want to use structured references. After all, that is the whole point of using a Table.

Method #3: SUM with header row

In the previous section, we identified that SUM ignores text values. Given that the header row in a Table is always text and an absolute row reference (i.e., it doesn’t move when a cell is dragged down), we can create a running total with just the SUM function and structured references.

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=SUM(tblData[[#Headers],[Value]]:[@Value])

The result of this formula is a running total in each row.

• tblData[[#Headers],[Value]] is the reference to the header row
• [@Value] is the reference to the cell within the Value column contained on the same row
• : (Colon) between two cell references creates a range

It is easier to see this method at work when we select a cell from the Running Total column.

Even though the entire range is not shown, a single range is created between the blue and red boxes.

We can delete or add to the Table, and it still works. AMAZING!

This appears to be the perfect method. However, I feel that using the header row makes this more of a visual solution than a data solution. By which I mean, in other parts of Excel, such as Power Query and Power Pivot, it’s not possible to reference the value in a header row. Therefore, this only works because the data is contained on an Excel worksheet.

I know this works, but conceptually, I feel we should look for another solution.

Method #4: INDEX function

All is not lost; there is another method.

The INDEX function makes it possible to reference any cell within a column.

=INDEX([Value],1)

Therefore, rather than using the column header cell, we can create an absolute reference by selecting the first cell in the column using the INDEX function.

Look at the solution below:

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=SUM(INDEX([Value],1):[@Value])

• INDEX([Value],1) is always a reference to the first cell in the Value column
• [@Value] is the reference to the cell within the Value column contained on the same row
• : (Colon) between the two cell references creates a range

The result of this formula is a non-volatile running total in each row of the Running Total column. It calculates correctly even if rows are added or deleted.

Perfect! This is my preferred option.

Other options

There are other options using OFFSET and relative named ranges that we could use. However, I have discounted these because:

• OFFSET is a volatile function that recalculates every time a cell changes in Excel, which can cause slow spreadsheet calculation times.
• Relative named ranges are a technique to use when you’re stuck or backed into a corner. However, we have suitable techniques without resorting to this.

Running total with criteria

Let’s suggest that we don’t want a single running total, but the running total for each individual element in the Item column. Can our INDEX method handle that situation? You bet it can.

Method #5: INDEX with SUMIFS

We will use the same INDEX technique inside the SUMIFS function.

The formula in Cell D2 is:

=SUMIFS(INDEX([Value],1):[@Value],INDEX([Item],1):[@Item],[@Item])

You will notice this uses the same INDEX method as above to create a dynamic range inside both the sum_range and criteria_range1 arguments of the SUMIFS function.

Let’s check this works:

• Alpha exists in Cells B2 (20) and B12 (80). The value in Cell C12 should therefore be 100, which it is. ✅
• Alpha also exists in Cell B15 (60). The value in Cell C15 should be 160, which it is.✅

This method works when rows and added or deleted, precisely what we need. See, the INDEX method is very flexible.

Conclusion

There you have it, lots of options to achieve a running total in an Excel Table. But, there are also lots of pitfalls.

The methods using standard references cannot guarantee the correct values when adding or deleting rows, so these should be discounted.

Both structured referencing methods can be used with COUNT, COUNTIFS, MIN, MINIFS, MAX, MAXIFS, AVERAGE, and AVERAGEIFS.

The SUM + header row method works, but conceptually, I have an issue with referencing the header row in this way. Don’t get me wrong; if it were the only option, I would definitely use it.

The SUM + INDEX method is my preferred choice. It’s flexible and provides everything we need.

See all How-To Articles

This tutorial demonstrates how to add a total or subtotal row to a table in Excel.

Add a Total Row

If you have a table in Excel with numeric data, you can easily add a total row to it. For example, say you have a table with products, prices, and sales by month.

Now, add a total for Column G (Total Sales).

1. Click anywhere in the table. The Table Design tab appears in the Ribbon.
2. Click on Table Design.
3. Then check Total Row.

A new row is added at the end of the table with the total amount of sales revenue.

You could also insert the total row with a keyboard shortcut: CTRL + SHIFT + T.

To remove totals, you need to uncheck Total Row in the Table Design tab or again use the shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + T.

Add Subtotal Row

By default, you can’t insert subtotal rows to an Excel table, but you can do it if you convert the table to a data range.

1. Click anywhere in the table, then in the Ribbon, go to Table Design > Convert to Range.

It’s the same data, just in a normal range instead of an Excel table. To check this, click anywhere in the data, and notice that Table Design tab doesn’t appear in the Ribbon.

1. Now you can add subtotal rows to the data. Say you want to group data and add subtotals by month (Column D).
   First, click anywhere in the data. Then in the Ribbon, go to the Data tab, and in Outline click on Subtotal.

1. The pop-up screen for Subtotal appears, and here you can specify how to group data. In the first section (At each change in:) set Month, as you want to add a subtotal for each month. In the Add subtotal to section, check Total Sales to sum the column (this is checked by default).

You get the subtotal for each month (Jan-2021 and Feb-2021) as well as a Grand Total for the whole column.

The data is also grouped by month now, so you can expand or collapse by month.

Remove Subtotal Rows

To remove subtotal rows, go back to the Data tab and Subtotal. In the pop-up screen, click on Remove All. This removes all groupings and subtotals.

In this article, we will learn how to get the sum or add cells across multiple sheets in Microsoft Excel.

Sometimes we need to access different values from different worksheets of the same excel book. Here we are accessing it to add multiple cells in Excel 2016.

In this article, we will learn how to sum the values located on different sheets in excel 2016. We will use the SUM function to add numbers.
SUM function adds up the values.
SUM = number 1 + number 2 + …
Syntax:  

=SUM(number 1, number 2, ..)

Let’s understand how to add cells in excel 2016 with the example explained here.

These are numbers from three different sheets and desired output sum will be in Sheet 1.

Now we use the SUM function

Formula:

=SUM(D6:D8, Sheet2!C3:C5,Sheet3!C5:C7)

Explanation:
The resulting output is in Sheet 1.
D6:D8 adds the values of Sheet 1  D6+D7+D8
C3:C5 adds the values of Sheet 2  C3+C4+C5
C5:C7 adds the values of Sheet 3   C5+C6+C7. 
It’s basically the addition of values in cells
D6+D7+D8 + C3+C4+C5 + C5+C6+C7

You can select the cells separated by commas to add the numbers.

Your formula will look like the above image.

Press Enter and your desired sum will be here in Sheet 1.

As we can see Sum function returns the sum. You can use Autosum option in Home tab in Editing.

Click arrow key for more options like shown below.

Then select the cells to add up values in Excel. You can sum across the rows and columns using the SUM function.

Hope you got SUM function adding cells in excel. The same function can be performed in Excel 2016, 2013 and 2010. Let us know how you like this article. You will find more content on functions and formulas here. Please state your query down in the comment box. We will help you.

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