Filtering in Excel helps you display only the data that meets certain criteria, but keeping a running total while filtering can be complex. This guide provides clear steps to ensure your totals adjust dynamically as you apply or remove filters.
By the end of this tutorial, we will explore how Sourcetable's AI chatbot eliminates the complexity of Excel functions by letting you simply describe what analysis you want to perform, and you can try it now to instantly answer any spreadsheet question.
To maintain accurate totals when applying filters in Excel, utilize the SUBTOTAL function. This function ensures the summation of only visible cells, disregarding those that are hidden manually or through filters.
Employ the SUBTOTAL function by inserting =SUBTOTAL(109, your_range)
into a cell. The '109' argument specifies that you want to sum the visible cells. Replace 'your_range' with the actual range of cells you wish to sum.
The SUBTOTAL function is superior when filtering data because it automatically adjusts the total to only include visible cells, providing an accurate sum despite the applied filters.
Avoid using the SUM function alone for filtered data, as it includes both visible and hidden cells in the total. This can lead to incorrect totals when rows are hidden by filters.
Ensure that numbers are not formatted as text, as this can cause the SUM function to malfunction. Additionally, a #Name error may indicate a misspelling in your SUM formula.
Track Monthly Expenses While Filtering Non-Essential Purchases |
Keep track of your total monthly spending while being able to hide or show discretionary expenses. This allows you to quickly assess your essential spending versus overall budget and identify areas for potential savings. |
Calculate Sales Performance Across Product Categories |
Monitor total revenue while filtering different product lines or categories. This enables quick analysis of product performance and helps identify top-selling categories without losing sight of overall sales figures. |
Monitor Department-Level Employee Hours |
Track total workforce hours while viewing specific departments or teams. This helps manage labor costs and staffing needs while maintaining visibility of total organizational work hours. |
Manage Selective Inventory Tracking |
View total inventory value while filtering specific product types or storage locations. This enables focused inventory management while maintaining awareness of total stock levels and value. |
Analyze Customer Feedback by Service Category |
Evaluate customer satisfaction scores for specific service areas while maintaining visibility of overall performance metrics. This allows for targeted service improvements while tracking overall customer satisfaction trends. |
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To keep the total row visible while filtering: 1) Turn off AutoFilter, 2) Select your data range excluding the total row, 3) Turn AutoFilter back on for just the selected range.
Use the SUBTOTAL function as it automatically calculates the sum of only visible cells when filters are applied. This is the most common approach for maintaining accurate totals with filtered data.
SUMIF is recommended instead of SUBTOTAL when working with multiple filtered datasets. This will ensure more accurate calculations across multiple data ranges.
While both work with filtered data, AGGREGATE offers more features than SUBTOTAL, including the ability to ignore error cells and ignore other SUBTOTAL or AGGREGATE formulas in the reference range.
Excel totals can become complex when using filters. Proper setup of formulas and data structure is essential for accurate calculations.
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