Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 12, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Most everyone knows that if you want to refer to a range of cells, you simply specify the beginning and ending point of the range and then separate those points by a colon. For instance, the following formula would return the sum of all cells in the range A1 through C4:
=SUM(A1:C4)
You may not know, however, how you can refer to the same cell or range of cells on a range of multiple worksheets in your workbook. For instance, you may want a cell to return the sum of each cell A1 on the first three worksheets in your workbook. If the worksheets are named Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3, then the formula would appear as follows:
=SUM(Sheet1:Sheet3!A1)
Similarly, if you wanted the sum of all cells in the range A1 through C4 on each of the same worksheets, you would use the following formula:
=SUM(Sheet1:Sheet3!A1:C4)
At times this notation can be a bit difficult to remember. You can easily use the mouse to build such a range by following these steps:
Your formula should now be complete, with the desired range in place.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11803) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Ranges on Multiple Worksheets.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!
One way to make your worksheets less complex is to get rid of detail and keep only the summary of that detail. Here's how ...
Discover MoreWhen you type information into a cell, Excel tries to figure out what type of information you are entering. If Excel can ...
Discover MoreIf you lose your place on the screen quite often, you might find it helpful to have not just a single cell highlighted, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-08-25 12:09:12
J. Woolley
My previous comment below mentions My Excel Toolbox's MAXIF and MINIF, which are missing from Excel; however, Excel 2019 includes MAXIFS and MINIFS, which are similar to MAXIF and MINIF.
2020-12-12 11:24:56
J. Woolley
These are often called 3D range references. My Excel Toolbox has several freely available functions that support such references but are not included in Excel: COUNTBLANK3D, COUNTIF3D, SUMIF3D, AVERAGEIF3D, MAXIF3D, and MINIF3D. The last two are supported by MAXIF and MINIF, which are also missing from Excel. See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox/
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments