Excel SUM formula

Build a SUM, a conditional SUMIF, or a multi-condition SUMIFS, with the range locked correctly so it survives being filled down.

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The formula
=SUM(C2:C500)

Click the cell where you want the total, type that, and press Enter. Change C2:C500 to cover your own rows, or use C:C for the whole column so it never needs adjusting.

How to do it
  1. 1Click the empty cell where the total should appear, usually under the column.
  2. 2Type =SUM( and then drag over the cells you want to add up.
  3. 3Type the closing bracket and press Enter.
  4. 4If it shows 0, the numbers are stored as text. Left-aligned values are the tell.
Conditional sum=SUMIF($A$2:$A$500, "North", $C$2:$C$500)
Plain total=SUM($C$2:$C$500)
Two conditions=SUMIFS($C$2:$C$500, $A$2:$A$500, "North", $B$2:$B$500, ">0")SUMIFS puts the sum range FIRST, SUMIF puts it last. Swapping them is the most common cause of a zero.
Whole column instead=SUM(C:C)Never needs adjusting when rows are added, and cannot drift when filled down.
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How this is calculated

SUM(range) adds every number in the range and ignores text and blanks. SUMIF(criteria range, criteria, sum range) adds only the matching rows. SUMIFS(sum range, criteria range, criteria, ...) takes the sum range FIRST, which is the opposite of SUMIF and the single most common reason one of them returns zero.

Frequently asked
Why does my SUM return 0?

The numbers are text. A column imported from another system often holds numbers stored as text, and SUM silently skips them rather than erroring. Left-aligned values in a column are the tell. Multiply by 1, or use Text to Columns, to convert them.

Why does SUMIF ignore my criteria?

Usually argument order. SUMIF is (criteria range, criteria, sum range) but SUMIFS is (sum range, criteria range, criteria). If you learned one and typed the other, the formula still calculates and returns the wrong number rather than failing.

Should I lock ranges with dollar signs?

Yes if the formula gets filled down or across. Without them C2:C500 becomes C3:C501 on the next row, so each total quietly covers a different range. Whole-column references like C:C avoid the problem entirely.

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