How to make a running total in Excel
A running total adds up everything so far. On each row it covers one more value than the row above.
Lock the start of the range but not the end: $B$2:B2. As you fill down, the end moves and the range grows.
The formula
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Week | Sales |
| 2 | Week 1 | 300 |
| 3 | Week 2 | 450 |
| 4 | Week 3 | 200 |
=SUM($B$2:B4)Result: 950
This is the formula in row 4, after filling down from =SUM($B$2:B2). It adds all three weeks.
Step by step
- In the first row, type =SUM($B$2:B2).
- Press Enter.
- Fill the formula down the column.
Other ways to write it
=SUM(B2:B4)Gives the same total on the last row, but filling it down won’t make a running total.
Each of these gives the same result on the example above, in Excel and in Cellwise.
Common mistakes
- Locking both ends
- $B$2:$B$2 never grows, so every row shows the first week.
- Locking neither end
- B2:B2 slides down as you fill, so each row only shows its own week.
Reading isn’t the same as doing
Running totals gives you real tasks on this, and tests your formulas on data you haven’t seen. It’s free, with no sign-up.