SUM in Google Sheets
SUM adds every number in a range. Instead of =B2+B3+B4+B5+B6+B7, write =SUM(B2:B7). The colon means "everything from B2 to B7".
SUM ignores text and empty cells, so labels in the range don't cause errors. You can pass several ranges or single cells separated by commas: =SUM(B2:B7, D2:D7, F10). Use a whole-column reference like B2:B when new rows keep getting added.
Syntax
=SUM(value1, [value2, …])
Example
=SUM(B2:B7)
Totals January through June.
Common mistakes
- Including the total cell itself in the range, which causes a circular reference.
- Numbers stored as text (left-aligned) are skipped by SUM.
- Using a comma instead of a colon:
B2,B7 adds only two cells.
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