Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Status Bar Summing No Longer Available.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 25, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Steve notes that he used to be able to highlight a row or column of numbers in Excel and the sum of that row or column would appear on the status bar. All of a sudden the sum has stopped appearing and Steve wonders how to get it back.
Excel can show several different statistics on the status bar about your selection, not just the sum. Right-click the status bar and you should see a Context menu appear that offers choices such as Average, Count, etc. You can select any (or all) of these options, but if none of them are selected then you will see no aggregations relative to your selection. You should make sure that the Sum option is selected, and then you will see the sum you desire.
There is one caveat to displaying the sum on the status bar: The cells you select must contain summable values. If the cells you select contain text (or numbers formatted as text), then they will be ignored in the sum that is shown on the status bar. If all of the cells you select contain text (or numbers formatted as text) or are empty, then the sum won't show at all on the status bar. Finally, the sum will only show if you select more than one summable cell.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6291) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Status Bar Summing No Longer Available.
Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!
Sometimes it is necessary to print a worksheet to see how the data it contains appears. This may not be necessary, ...
Discover MoreExcel helpfully lets you know when the data or formulas you've entered in a cell don't make sense. It does this by ...
Discover MoreIf your arrow keys and the Enter key aren't working as you expect them to, the problem could have any number of causes. ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments