Tips for quickly calculating Totals in Excel

Did you know that you can sum a column in Excel with one click?!

As an office worker, time is a precious thing. You need results fast!Since time is of the essence, we put together this guide on the 5 fastest ways to calculate Totals in Excel

Calculate totals in Excel with one click on the status bar

If you need to total an entire column, the fastest way to total a column is to click the letter of the column containing the numbers you want to total. That's it!.

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The results are displayed below on the Excel Status Bar. The status bar will display Average, Count, and Total.

Really fast, this method allows neither copying nor displaying of digits.

This method also applies to rows. Click on a row to sum the entered numbers in a row.

But what if you want to copy numbers or display them as digits? Don't worry, we have some more tricks to show you!

How to calculate the total number of columns in Excel with AutoSum

If you want to sum a column in Excel and keep the results in your table, you can use the  AutoSum function  . It will automatically add the numbers and will display the total in the cell you select.

1. To avoid any additional actions like selecting a range, click the first empty cell below the column you need to sum.
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2. Navigate to  the Home -> Editing tab  and click the  AutoSum button . Tips for quickly calculating Totals in Excel Picture 3
3. You will see Excel automatically add the =  SUM function  and select the range with your numbers.
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4. Just press  Enter  on your keyboard to see the total number of columns in Excel.
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This method is fast and allows you to automatically get and keep the aggregated results in your table.

Enter the SUM function manually to sum a column in Excel

You can also enter the  SUM function  manually. Why do you need this? Sum only some cells in a column, or to specify an address for a large range instead of selecting it manually.

1. Click the cell in your table where you want to see the total of the selected cells.
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2. Type  =sum(in this selected cell.
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3. Now select the range with the numbers you want to sum and press  Enter  on your keyboard.

   Tips. You can enter the range address manually like  =sum(B1:B2000). It is helpful if you have a large range to calculate.
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   That's it! You will see the column aggregated. The total will appear in the correct cell.
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This option is really useful 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. 

Note: The SUM function will work even with values ​​from hidden and filtered rows  . If you just want to sum visible cells, read on and learn how to do it.

Use Subtotals in Excel to sum only filtered cells

This feature is perfect for summing only visible cells. As a rule, these are filtered or hidden cells.

1. First, filter your table. Click any cell in your data, go to the  Data tab, and click the  Filter icon  .
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2. You will see arrows appear in the column headers. Click the arrow next to the exact title to narrow the data.
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3. Uncheck  Select All  and highlight only the value(s) to filter by. Click  OK  to see the results.
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4. Select the range of numbers to sum and click AutoSum  in  the  Home tab.
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   Voila! Only filtered cells in the column are aggregated. 

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If you want to sum the visible cells but don't need to paste the total into your table, you can select the range and see the total of the selected cells on the   Excel Status bar . Or you can go ahead and see an option to sum only filtered cells.

Convert your data into an Excel table to get totals for the column

If you frequently need to sum columns, you can convert your spreadsheet to  an Excel Table  . This will simplify summing columns and rows and doing many other things with your lists.

1. Press Ctrl + T on your keyboard to format the cell range as an  Excel Table  .
2. You will see a  new Design tab appear. Navigate to this tab and check the  Row Total checkbox  .
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3. A new row will be added to the bottom of your table. To make sure you get the total, select the number in the new row and click  the little down arrow  next to it. Select the Sum option   from the list.
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   Using this option allows you to easily display totals for each column. You can see the total as well as many other functions such as Average, Min and Max. 

This feature only adds visible (filtered) cells. If you need to calculate all the data, please use the instructions from  How to Sum Columns in Excel with AutoSum  and  Manually Enter the SUM Function to Sum Columns  .

Using Autosum Excel – ALT shortcut = quick sum

The Autosum Excel shortcut is very simple – just type two keys:

ALT  =

Step 1:  place the cursor below the column of numbers you want to sum (or to the left of the row of numbers you want to sum).

Step 2:  Hold down  the Alt key  and then press the equal sign = while still holding Alt.

Step 3:   Press Enter.

Example of Excel Autosum function

Here are two screenshots of the Autosum Excel shortcut in action.

The first example shows the Autosum formula being used on a  vertical number series  , and the second example shows the formula being used on a  horizontal number series.

It is important to place your cursor in the correct position before pressing '  Alt =  '.

See an example Excel screenshot below:

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Whether you need to sum an entire column in Excel or sum only visible cells, in this article I have 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 the AutoSum function, or format your data as a Table.

If you have any questions or difficulties, don't hesitate to leave a comment. Be happy and excel in Excel!

Lesley Montoya

Update 01 October 2023