Do you use the SUM function? While that’s the right way to do this, I hope you’re not manually entering the SUM formula and selecting the range to get the sum of all the values in the column (or rows). In this tutorial, I will show you a simple shortcut to Autosum values in rows and columns in Excel.
Shortcut to AutoSum in Excel
Let me first give you the shortcut, and then I’ll explain how it works with different datasets. Below is the shortcut to AutoSum in Excel (if using Windows) And here is the AutoSum shortcut you can use with Mac: Now, let me show you how to use this autosum shortcut in different situations
AutoSum Values in a Column
Below I have some values in a column, and I want to get the sum of all these values at the bottom. Here are the steps to do this: That’s it! As soon as you use the shortcut, it will give you the sum of all the values in the column by inserting the sum formula in the cell right below the data. Note: Since the shortcut inserts the SUM formula in the cell after the cell filled cell, in case you change any of the values in the column, the formula will automatically update to give you the correct result
AutoSum Values in a Row
Just like we got the sum of values in a column, you can also use the auto sum shortcut to get the sum of the values in a row. Below I have some values in a row that I want to sum. Here are the steps to do this: When you use the autosum shortcut, it will insert the SUM formula in the cell right next to the last filled cell in the row (as shown below).
AutoSum Values in Multiple Columns
In the above examples, I have shown you how to use the autosum shortcut with one column or one row. However, you can also use it with a range of cells. Below I have a data set where I want to get the sum of each column at the bottom of the column. Here are the steps to do this: This will insert the SUM formula at the end of each column and give you the sum of each column Even if you have text headers in your data set, you can still select the entire data set and use the autosum shortcut, as it ignores the cells with text values and gives the sum of numeric values. Pro Tip: To quickly select the entire data set, select any cell in the data set and use the keyboard shortcut Control + A (hold the Control key and then press the A key)
AutoSum Values in Multiple Rows
Just like getting the sum of multiple columns in a data set, you can also get the sum of multiple rows (with one slight change in the steps) Below I have a data set where I have sales value for every month in a row, and I want to get the sum of each row Here are the steps to do this: When we select an additional blank column, Excel knows that the autosum shortcut should be used to fill the values in the blank column. Had we not selected that extra blank column, using the autosum shortcut would have given us the sum of columns and not the rows. Pro Tip: If you want the AutoSum values for the rows as well as columns, select an additional blank row and an additional blank column and then use the autosum shortcut.
AutoSum in Excel Using Quick Analysis Tool
Apart from the shortcut, another quick way to autosum in Excel is by using the Quick Analysis Tool. Below I have a data set where I have the sales value for stores in columns and for months in rows. To get the autosum values for rows as well as columns using Quick Analysis Tool, follow the below steps: One difference between the autosome shortcut and the Quick Analysis Tool method is that the result you get from Quick Analysis Tool is formatted (cells with sum are bolded and the text Sum is added to the row/column header) So these are some quick methods you can use to AutoSum in Excel. The fastest method would always be to use the keyboard shortcut, but in case you prefer using the mouse, you can also use the Quick Analysis Tool option Other Excel articles you may also like:
How to Sum Across Multiple Sheets in Excel? (3D SUM Formula) How to Select Entire Column (or Row) in Excel – Shortcut How to Sum by Color in Excel (Formula & VBA) 5 Easy Ways to Calculate Running Total in Excel (Cumulative Sum) How to Sum Only Positive or Negative Numbers in Excel (Easy Formula) How to SUM values between two dates (using SUMIFS formula)
