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Many people want to know how to Use SUMIF in Google Sheets. Some of the best functions in Google Sheets are those that help you summarize and group data. Today, we’ll take a closer look at one of these functions, SUMIF, which is a powerful way to add up cells based on certain conditions. Before we look at the examples of syntax and formulas, We want to make a few important points. As we march boldly into our inevitable digital future, skills that used to be only for business managers are quickly becoming requirements for entry-level jobs. Visit their official website for further information.
This is the case with the spreadsheet, which is the most important tool in any modern office. It’s not enough to know how to enter data well. Today’s jobseekers need to know how to analyze and manipulate information. Having a nice Chromebook doesn’t hurt either. Google Sheets has two functions, SUMIF and SUMIFS, that add up numbers based on conditions. The first one only checks one condition, while the second one can check several conditions at once. In this tutorial, we will only talk about the SUMIF function. We will also talk about how to Use SUMIF in Google Sheets.
What is SUMIF in Google Sheets?
Google Sheets has a function called SUMIF that lets you add up the values in a group of cells that meet certain conditions. The criteria can be a number, a string of text, or an expression of logic. The SumIf function in Google Sheets adds up the numbers in a range of cells that meet certain conditions. It lets you add numbers in a certain range based on a certain condition, such as values that meet a certain condition, fall within a certain range, or match a certain text string.
The SUMIF function is used to sum the numbers in a range based on a condition. Like the COUNTIF function, the SUMIF function is made up of two simpler ones: SUM and IF. If the condition is met by a range of cells, this function adds the numbers that are related to that condition.
How to Use SUMIF in Google Sheets
How to use SUMIF with a text condition
Suppose you had a similar spreadsheet, but it was a list of sales by region. If you only wanted to know how much money was made in the east, you could use SUMIF with a text criterion and the optional sum_range to tell the argument where to find the values to add up. Take a look at this spreadsheet:
- Type “=SUMIF” and then press Tab. Google Sheet will add the open parenthesis by itself.
- Select the column with the names of the regions by clicking and dragging the mouse.
- Type a comma, then “East” (with the quotes) in the box.
- Type a comma, then click on the column that has the sales numbers.
- Hit the Tab button. Google Sheets will add the closing bracket, and the result should show up in the cell.
How to use SUMIF with a date condition
The SUMIF function can even sum numbers based on a date — such as values related to a specific date, or before or after a date. Let’s say we want to add up all the sales from January 15.
- Type “=SUMIF” and then press Tab. Google Sheet will add the open parenthesis by itself.
- By clicking and dragging the mouse, you can choose the column with the dates.
- Type a comma, then type “DATE” without the quotation marks.
- Type a comma, then click on the column that has the sales numbers.
- Hit the Tab button. Google Sheets will add the closing bracket, and the result should show up in the cell.
How to use SUMIF with a simple number condition
Even with the optional sum_range argument, the SUMIF function is easy to use, but the best way to see it in action is to add a range of values based on a criterion in that range. For example, say you have a spreadsheet like this one and you want to know the sum of all the numbers that are 100 or higher.
- Type “=SUMIF” and press Tab. Google Sheets will add the open brackets for you and wait for the range.
- Click and drag the mouse to choose the column with the numbers you want to add up.
- Type a comma and then enter “>=100” (including the quotes).
- Hit the Tab button. Google Sheets will add the closing bracket, and the result should show up in the cell. In this case, we didn’t need to set a sum_range because it’s the same as the range.
How to use SUMIF with a wildcard
Wildcards are handy because they let you work with partial matches, such as any product that has the word “apple” in it.
- Type “=SUMIF” and then press Tab. Google Sheet will add the open parenthesis by itself.
- Select the column with the names of the products by clicking and dragging the mouse.
- Type a comma, then type “apple” (with the quotation marks).
- Type a comma, then click on the column that has the sales numbers.
- Hit the Tab button. Google Sheets will add the closing bracket, and the result should show up in the cell.
Advantages or Disadvantages of using SUMIF
Advantages:
- Easy to use: The SUMIF function is relatively easy to use, even for beginners. The syntax is straightforward, and there are many online resources available to help you learn how to use it.
- Flexible: The SUMIF function is very flexible, and it can be used to perform a variety of tasks. You can use it to sum the values in a range of cells that meet a specific criteria, such as a certain value, a text string, or a logical expression.
- Powerful: The SUMIF function is a powerful tool that can be used to automate tasks and simplify data analysis. For example, you could use it to calculate the total sales for a specific product, find the total number of customers who have purchased a product within a certain time period, or calculate the average salary for employees in a certain department.
Disadvantages:
- Can be slow for large datasets: The SUMIF function can be slow for large datasets, especially if you are using it to sum the values in a range of cells that are not contiguous.
- Can be difficult to troubleshoot: If the SUMIF function does not return the correct results, it can be difficult to troubleshoot the problem. This is because the function can be sensitive to formatting errors and incorrect criteria.
- Requires careful formatting: The SUMIF function requires careful formatting. If the range and criteria arguments are not formatted correctly, the function will not return the correct results.
Alternative Functions to SUMIF
The SUMIF function is a powerful tool, but it is not the only way to add up the values in a range of cells that meet certain criteria. Here are some other functions you can use instead:
- SUMIFS: The SUMIFS function is similar to SUMIF, but it allows you to specify multiple criteria. This makes it a more versatile tool for data analysis.
- SUMPRODUCT: The SUMPRODUCT function is a more powerful function that can be used to perform a variety of calculations, including summing the values in a range of cells that meet multiple criteria.
- INDEX: The INDEX function can be used to return a specific value from a range of cells. This can be useful if you only need to sum the values in a single cell that meets a certain criteria.
- MATCH: The MATCH function can be used to find the position of a value in a range of cells. This can be useful if you need to sum the values in a range of cells that are ordered in a specific way.
Questions and Answers
You can use the criteria on one range and add up the values in another range if you want to. For example, the formula =SUMIF(B2:B5, “John”, C2:C5) adds only the values in the range C2:C5 where the corresponding cells in the range B2:B5 contain “John.”
SUMIF can only look at one condition at a time, but SUMIFS can look at more than one. Syntax. Sumif’s last argument, sum_range, is optional. If it is not given, the values in the range argument are added together. Sum_range is the first argument for SUMIFS, and it must be there.
The SUMIF function is already built into Excel. It adds up the values in a range based on whether a condition is true or false. It’s written =SUMIF: =SUMIF([sum_range], range, criteria) The condition is called criteria, and it can be used to check things like: If one number is bigger than another, it’s written as >.