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How to create a running total in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:SUM & aggregationExcel & Google Sheets
=SUM($B$2:B2)Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1In the first row of the running total, enter =SUM($B$2:B2).
- 2The $B$2 is locked; the B2 moves as you copy down.
- 3Fill the formula down — each row totals from the top through the current row.
Tips
- In Google Sheets you can also use =SCAN or a single ARRAYFORMULA for a whole-column running total.
- Keep the anchor ($B$2) on the very first data row, or the totals drift.
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Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
Why does my running total repeat the same number?
You probably locked both ends ($B$2:$B$2) or neither. Lock only the start: =SUM($B$2:B2).
More on SUM & aggregation
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SUMPRODUCT
Multiply ranges together row by row and sum the result — ideal for weighted totals.
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Add up an entire column with SUM. Total a whole column or a fixed range — identical in Excel and Google Sheets.
Error fixFix 0
SUM returns 0 or the wrong total in Excel and Google Sheets — fix numbers stored as text, filtered ranges, manual calculation mode, and circular references.
ReferenceSUBTOTAL
Aggregate a range (sum, average, count…) while ignoring other SUBTOTALs and, optionally, hidden rows. Ideal under filters.
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Total amounts that fall in a given month with SUMIFS and two date bounds. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
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Add up the largest few numbers in a range using LARGE. Here we total the top 3 — the same in both apps.