How to Sum Non-Contiguous Cells in Excel

Summing non-contiguous cells in Excel is quite simple, and there are several ways to do this. In this guide, we will go through two methods: using the SUM function and using the AutoSum feature.

Method 1: Using the SUM function

1. Click on the cell where you want the total sum to appear.
2. Type =SUM( in the cell.
3. Click on the first non-contiguous cell you want to include in the sum.
4. Hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click on each additional non-contiguous cell you want to include in the sum. The cell addresses will be added to the formula, separated by commas.
5. Close the parentheses by typing ) and press Enter to complete the formula.
6. The sum of the non-contiguous cells will be displayed in the cell you originally clicked.

Method 2: Using the AutoSum feature

1. Click on the cell where you want the total sum to appear.
2. Go to the "Home" tab in the Excel toolbar.
3. In the "Editing" group, click on the "AutoSum" button (it looks like a Greek sigma symbol ∑).
4. Excel will automatically suggest a range of cells to include in the sum. Delete this suggested range.
5. Click on the first non-contiguous cell you want to include in the sum.
6. Hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click on each additional non-contiguous cell you want to include in the sum. The cell addresses will be added to the formula, separated by commas.
7. Press Enter to complete the formula.
8. The sum of the non-contiguous cells will be displayed in the cell you originally clicked.

Example

Let's say you want to sum the values in cells A1, A3, and A5. Follow the steps below using either method:

1. Click on the cell where you want the total sum to appear, for example, A7.
2. Using the SUM function, type =SUM(, or using the AutoSum feature, click on the "AutoSum" button and delete the suggested range.
3. Click on cell A1, then hold the Ctrl key and click on cells A3 and A5.
4. Close the parentheses for the SUM function by typing ) or simply press Enter for the AutoSum method.
5. The sum of the non-contiguous cells A1, A3, and A5 will be displayed in cell A7.