AUTOSUM is a function similar to SUM, the difference is that the AUTOSUM function can automatically detect and apply the sum formula to a column or row without needing to select the range.
The AUTOSUM function is exclusively available in Excel, however in Google Sheets we can achieve similar functionality. There’s a plugin that can recreate the exact functionality but it’s $29 per year and isn’t really necessary.
The AUTOSUM functionality in Google Sheets involves using the SUM function which will prompt the autofill feature. We can then drag the sum formula to other columns and rows which will auto populate the cells with the SUM data. In this article we will cover this useful method in detail.
Our example scenario for this demonstration consists of a dataset representing a hire company and five customers who have two hire amounts. We will implement the AUTOSUM functionality to these amounts to find the total amount for each customer.
The dataset for this scenario can be found by clicking here so you can follow along.
In the dataset select the empty cell next to the first two amounts to add.
In the empty cell apply the formula to add the two amounts, this formula will be:
=SUM(Cell 1,Cell 2)
Formula Breakdown:
=SUM: We use this function to inform Google Sheets we want to add based on follow up conditions.
Cell 1: The first cell to be included in the addition
Cell 2: The second cell to be included in the equation
The SUM function can also be applied a second way, select the cells needing to be added and click the functions icon Σ:
Once clicked - the function menu will be displayed, select SUM, this will automatically populate the SUM formula to the empty cell to the right of the highlighted area.
Google Sheets will now add the two amounts in the target cells of the SUM formula. At this point Google Sheets will pop up with the option to apply an auto-fill to the rest of the table. The auto-fill option will display a preview in a light green color to show what the auto-fill results will look like.
You can select the green tick to apply the auto-fill or select the cross to dismiss it. At this point if you choose to dismiss the auto-fill we can apply the AUTOSUM in a different way.
In the bottom right hand corner of the cell containing the SUM function note the small blue square, use this to drag the function down the column, this will AUTOSUM the other amounts:
Remember to keep your finger held down until you have dragged the entire area, when you release the AUTOSUM function will be apply the SUM function to the rest of the cells:
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to sum a column in Google Sheets or our article on how to sum checkboxes in Google Sheets.
If you want to learn how to use the Google Sheets sum formula or how to create an email list in Google Sheets, we also suggest checking out our detailed guide.
