Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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: Summing Only Visible Values.

Summing Only Visible Values

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 14, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365


Kirk is using the SUM function in many of his worksheets to (naturally) determine the sum of a range of values. The problem he is running into, however, is that the range he is summing contains some hidden rows, and he doesn't want those values—the hidden ones—included in the sum.

The SUM function is pretty simplistic in how it does its work; it simply sums a range. You can change the function you use and get the desired results, however. For instance, let's assume that you want to sum the range of A3:A45, and that you don't want any hidden values to be included in the sum. You should use the SUBTOTAL function in the following manner:

=SUBTOTAL(109,A3:A45)

The first parameter of the function (109) indicates how you want SUBTOTAL to do its work. In this case, it means you want SUBTOTAL to sum the range, using the SUM function, and you don't want any hidden values included in the value returned. (You can find out more about the controlling SUBTOTAL parameters if you look in the online Help for the SUBTOTAL function.)

If you don't want to use the SUBTOTAL function for some reason, you can create your own user-defined function (a macro) that will only sum the visible values in a range. Consider this macro:

Function Sum_Visible(Cells_To_Sum As Object)
    Dim vTotal As Variant
    Dim c As Range

    Application.Volatile
    vTotal = 0
    For Each c In Cells_To_Sum
        If Not c.Rows.Hidden Then
            If Not c.Columns.Hidden Then
                vTotal = vTotal + c.Value
            End If
        End If
    Next
    Sum_Visible = vTotal
End Function

To use the function, simply use a formula like this wherever you want your sum to appear:

=Sum_Visible(A1:A1000)

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12123) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Summing Only Visible Values.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Picking Up Where You Left Off

Need a quick way to get back to a where you previously edited? Here's a shortcut that will serve you well.

Discover More

Selecting a Language

Need to format a paragraph (or some selected text) so that it is a language other than English? You can do so easily by ...

Discover More

Turning Off HTML Conversions

Don't want Word to load up your HTML documents as formatted text? There are a couple of ways you can instruct Word to be ...

Discover More

Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Understanding Variables in VBA Macros

You can create and use all sorts of variables in your macros. This tip examines all the different data types you can specify.

Discover More

Getting a File Name

Does your macro need to allow the user to specify a particular file name that should be used by the macro? Here's a quick ...

Discover More

Adjusting Values with Formulas

Paste Special is a great tool that allows you to modify the values in a range of cells in your worksheets. You may want, ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.