Your relationship with Office, especially Excel, has never been the best. Spreadsheets are one of your least favorite things in the computer world, but now you find yourself obliged to create one for work: you’ve even been asked to create a document containing cells in which you can automatically sum some figures contained in other cells. You’re panicking, aren’t you?
I suspected as much, but you don’t have to beat yourself up. I know that finding yourself in these situations is not nice at all, but with a little effort and the right amount of good will, you’ll be able to learn how to add on Excel in no time. Let’s do this: I’ll explain in the simplest way possible how to do it and then you let me know if you succeeded or not. Agreed?
Just a small clarification before I start: I’ll be using Office 2016 for the tutorial; in any case, the instructions you’ll find in the article should be valid for all editions of Excel, even the older ones, both for Windows and macOS. In addition, in the second part of the guide I’ll also deal with Excel Online, the web version of the famous Microsoft software that can be used via browser, and the Excel app for smartphones and tablets. Having clarified all this, all that’s left for me to do is wish you a good read and, above all, good work!
How to add up in Excel for PC and Mac
If you want to know how to sum on Microsoft Excel, in the next chapters I’ll explain in detail how to perform some of the most common sum operations.
Simple sum of numbers
Let’s start with the simplest things. Do you want to learn how to add two digits in Excel that are in the same cell, that is, how to get the result of an addition in the same cell where you type the digits to be added? Well, open your spreadsheet in Excel for Windows or macOS and click on the cell in which you want to perform the addition.
At this point, type the symbol = (equal) followed by your addition (e.g. 10+5 to add 10 and 5) and press the Enter key on your PC keyboard. Almost as if by magic, instead of the addition (e.g. =10+5) the result of the sum (e.g. 15) will appear in the cell. Easy, isn’t it?
Using the Sum formula
In Microsoft Excel, you can also use the SUM() formula to perform some algebraic sum operations on cells, without having to manually type in the numbers. I’ll give you some convenient examples below to help you understand how to apply this formula.
If you want to know how to sum a column in Excel (e.g. the values of cells A1, A2, A3, etc.) or the values present in the same row (e.g. A1, B1, C1, etc.), using the SUM() formula you can easily perform this operation.
To sum up all the digits in a column, for example column A, just click on the cell where the calculation result will appear, type =SUM(A:A) and press Enter. Of course, instead of A, enter the letter corresponding to the column you want to use for the calculation (e.g. =SUM(B:B) to sum the values in column B, =SUM(C:C) to sum the values in column C, and so on).
To sum the values contained up to a certain point in the column and not those of the entire column (e.g. only the values ranging from A1 to A4), you must use the formula =SUM(A1:A4). Instead of A1 and A4, of course, the “coordinates” of the cells of the beginning and end of the sum to be made must be entered. To learn more about sum operations on a column, you can consult this tutorial of mine.
To sum the values contained in a row, it is sufficient to use a formula very similar to the one just described: =SUM(1:1), where the number of the row to be added must be inserted instead of 1.
To obtain only the sum of a part of a row, leaving out the rest, you must use the formula =SUM(A1:D1), where at the place of A1 and D1 must be inserted the “coordinates” of the cells of beginning and end of the sum to be made.
If you want to know how to add two columns in Excel, all you have to do is use the formula =SUM(A:B), where instead of A:B you have to indicate the range of columns (in this case columns A and B are indicated).
Alternatively, you can set a range between multiple columns, using the formula =SUM(A1:D6), in which the range of cells to be considered is given. You will then need to indicate the cell in the first column and first row of the range, and then the cell in the last row and last column of the same range.
Add up only some cells in Excel
It is just as simple to add up only a few cells in Excel and have the result of the calculation appear in a cell of your choice. If you want to add up the numbers in more than one cell, all you have to do is click on the cell in which you want to display the result of the addition and type the symbol = (equal) followed by the numbers and letters of the cells to be added interspersed with the symbol +(plus).
For example, if you want to sum the digits present in cells A1, B3 and D6, you have to click on the cell where you want to display the result of the addition and type =A1+B3+D6. By pressing the Enter key on the keyboard on the PC, instead of the formula, the result of the sum of the digits present in the indicated cells will be displayed in the cell. The result will update automatically if any number in the summed cells is changed.
You can also use the SUM() formula I mentioned earlier to perform this operation. Within this formula, in the area between the brackets, you will have to type the cell references or simply click on the cells to be included, while holding down the Ctrl key. In this case, taking up the example given above, you would type the expression =SUM(A1;B3;D6).
If you want to know how to add up cells from different sheets in Excel, this operation is only possible by preceding the cell reference with the sheet reference. For example, consider cell A1 of sheet Calculation1 and cell A1 of sheet Calculation2: the formula must be expressed as follows: =SUM(Calculation1!A1;Calculation2!A1). The name of the sheet to which the cell refers must then be inserted, interposing the ! (exclamation mark).
Use the Auto Sum key
What I have just explained are the “manual” formulas to be used to add figures, cells, columns, rows and percentages in Excel. In reality, however, the famous Microsoft software also offers a convenient automatic summing function that allows you to sum any value in the spreadsheet by simply clicking on a button on the toolbar and then selecting the elements to be summed.
Let’s take a practical example. In order to add up the values present in “scattered” cells in the spreadsheet, click on the cell where you want to display the result of the addition, select the Auto Sum button from the Excel formulas tab (the icon with the capital ?) and select the cells you want to add up using the combination Ctrl+click on Windows or cmd+click on macOS. To finish, press the Enter key on your computer’s keyboard and the result of the calculation will appear in the cell highlighted at the beginning.
If you want to sum adjacent cells, click on the Excel Auto Sum button, then hold down the left mouse button, select the cells you want to sum and press Enter. If you want to sum an entire column or row, click on the Excel Auto Sum button, click on the label of the column (e.g. A, B, C) or row (e.g. 1, 2, 3) you want to sum and press Enter. Easier than that!
Add up Excel percentage
In case you need it, know that you can also sum a percentage in Excel, so as to increase a number by a certain percentage. The formula you need to use is the following: =starting number*(1+percentage to be added).
In case you need it, know that you can also sum a percentage in Excel, so as to increase a number by a certain percentage. The formula you need to use is the following: =starting number*(1+percentage to be added).
Add up hours and minutes in Excel
On the other hand, as far as adding up hours and minutes is concerned, it might not be an easy task to apply if you don’t know how Excel handles calculations on the hour format.
You must know that you cannot simply apply one of the methods I have shown you in the previous chapters to add up several cells containing times and get a result that will not be what you expected. This is because you must first set the cells or the formula itself in a suitable format.
In this regard, considering the complexity of the topic, I recommend that you delve into what I have already proposed in my tutorial on how to add up hours in Excel.
Add up dates in Excel
On the other hand, as far as adding up dates in Excel is concerned, you can act in different ways, depending on your objective. Here are some practical examples to help you understand the operations to be performed.
If for example you want to add days to a fixed date, what you have to do is to enter in one cell the date (A1) and in another cell the number of days (B1). In another cell (C1) apply the simple sum formula =A1+B1. This will add the days to the date you indicated. Obviously if the value of the days is preceded by a negative sign, you will perform a subtraction of this value from the date.
If you want to add months to a date, you can use the formula DATA.MONTH(). This requires as first argument the initial date, and as second argument the number of months to add (or remove if the value is preceded by a negative sign). Therefore, if you want to remove 5 months from the date 8 February 1998, you will have to type the formula =DATE.MONTH(“8/2/1998”;-5).
Summing on Excel Online
Would you like to practice using Excel but, unfortunately, the computer you are currently using does not have a copy of the famous Microsoft software? Don’t despair: by opening your favorite browser, such as Chrome, and connecting to the Excel Online website, you can access a web version of Excel that works directly from the browser without requiring the installation of external software or plug-ins.
It is completely free and, although it doesn’t have all the functions of the classic version of Excel, it allows you to perform sums in a very easy way, both through formulas and through automatic summation. The only prerequisite for its operation is a Microsoft account, so if you don’t have one yet, make up for it now by following the instructions in my tutorial on how to create a Microsoft account.
When you’re ready to get started, connect to the Excel Online home page using the link I provided earlier, sign in with your Microsoft account, and click the button to create a blank worksheet.
If you don’t want to create a new spreadsheet but edit an existing one, you must first upload it to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service (which I told you about in my dedicated tutorial).
To upload a document to OneDrive, connect to the service’s main page, click the Go to my OneDrive button (if necessary) and log in to your Microsoft account. Once you’re logged in, drag the Excel file you want to edit into the browser window and wait for its upload to complete.
You can follow the progress of the upload via the arrow icon that appears in the top right corner, while you can understand the file in Excel Online by simply clicking on its icon that appears in OneDrive.
Now it’s time for action and, as you can easily guess, the steps to be taken are almost the same as those explained in the chapter dedicated to the classic version of Excel. You can choose whether to use “manual” formulas or to take advantage of the automatic summing function of the famous Microsoft software.
In the first case, you have to click on the cell you are interested in and type one of the formulas I indicated before (e.g. =A1+B3+D6 to sum the digits in cells A1, B3 and D6; =SUM(A:A) to sum all the values in column A or =starting number*(1+percentage to sum) to sum a percentage).
To use automatic summing, you need to go to the Home tab of Excel Online, select the cell where the calculation result is to be entered, click on the sigma (?) icon in the upper right corner, select the cells to be included in the calculation and press Enter. The sum result will automatically appear in the selected cell.
Summarise on Excel for smartphones and tablets
Excel is also available as an application for Android (also on alternative stores) and iOS/iPadOS: this means that, if necessary, you can create new workbooks or edit existing ones from your smartphone or tablet. Another interesting thing to note is that the mobile version of Excel is free on all devices with a screen size equal to or less than 10.1″ (if you use a larger device, you must subscribe to the Microsoft 365 service).
To use the sum function in the Excel app, all you have to do is install the latter on your device (on Android and Windows 10 Mobile it might already be pre-installed), launch it and sign in to your Microsoft account.
After that you have to choose whether to create a blank workbook or open an existing Excel file by tapping on the Open tab (bottom right) and selecting the document you want to edit. You can choose files present on your device memory or on cloud storage services, such as Dropbox, OneDrive Google Drive etc.
Once you have opened the spreadsheet on which to act, click on the cell where you want to insert the result of the sum and type, in the text field fx at the top, the formula to be used.
You can use the same formulas I showed you in the previous chapter for Windows and macOS versions of Excel: =A1+B3+D6 to sum the digits in cells A1, B3 and D6; =SUM(B:B) to sum all the values in column B, =SUM(1:1) to sum all the values in row 1; =starting number*(1+percentage to sum) to sum a percentage and so on.
To take advantage of the automatic sum, however, you have to follow a slightly different process depending on whether you use a smartphone or a tablet. If you use a smartphone, select the cell where you want to display the result of the sum and tap on the pencil icon located in the upper right corner.
Select Home from the drop-down menu in the lower left corner, scroll down the box and go to Auto Sum > Sum. After that, select the cells you want to include in the calculation (using the appropriate indicators that appear on the screen) and click on the checkmark in the upper right corner to complete the operation.
If you use a tablet, instead, select the cell where you want to display the result of the sum, go to the Home tab of Excel and click on the sigma icon (?) located in the upper right corner.
At this point, choose the Sum item from the menu that opens, select the cells that you want to include in the calculation (using the appropriate indicators that appear on the screen) and press the checkmark in the upper right corner to complete the operation.
If you are working on an existing Excel file, the changes will be saved automatically in it. If, on the other hand, you have created a new workbook, you will have to save it by clicking the back arrow and answering yes to Excel’s request to save it.