How to Sum a Row in Google Sheets- Easiest Way, by Tech Talk on YouTube. 2 min 49 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 49 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Open your spreadsheet in Google Sheets and find the row of numbers you want to total.
Click an empty cell at the end of that row. If your numbers sit in A2 to E2, use F2.
Type =SUM( and then drag across the cells with your mouse, or type the range directly, such as =SUM(A2:E2).
Press Enter to finish. The cell now shows the total for the row and updates whenever you change a number.
For a faster route, select the row of numbers and click the Sigma button on the toolbar. Sheets inserts a sum formula in the next empty cell.
To check a total without a formula, select the row's numbers and look at the bottom right of the screen. Sheets shows Sum there.
To total more rows, click the cell with your formula and drag the small blue square at its corner down or across.
Tips and common mistakes
If the total is lower than expected, look for numbers stored as text. SUM ignores them, and they often show a small green triangle.
Leave blank cells inside the range. SUM skips them without breaking the formula.
Use a range like A2:E2 instead of adding cells one by one, so the formula still works if you insert a column later.
Questions
Why does my SUM formula return 0?
The cells are probably formatted as text. Select them, go to Format, then Number, then Number, and re-enter the values.
Does SUM count text or blank cells?
No. SUM adds only numbers and ignores text and empty cells. An error value anywhere in the range will make the whole formula return an error.
Can I sum a row on my phone?
Yes. Tap the empty cell in the Google Sheets app, type =SUM(A2:E2) in the formula bar, and tap the check mark.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
