Excel : Master the SUM.IF function to add up according to a criterion

Excel offers a host of powerful functions for automating calculations, including SUM.IF. This formula enables you to add values together, provided they meet a defined criterion. It’s an essential tool for analyzing data with precision and filtering results according to your needs.

Whether you want to add up amounts associated with a specific customer, a specific date or a numerical range, SOMME.SI saves you precious time in your spreadsheets.

What is the SUM.IF function?

The SUM.SI function performs a conditional sum: it examines a range of cells, applies a criterion, then adds together only those values that meet that condition.

Basic syntax:

=SUMM.SI(criterion_range; criterion; [sum_range])
ElementDescription
criterion_rangeThe range of cells to be analyzed according to a criterion
criterionThe condition to be met (value, expression, text, etc.)
range_sum(Optional) The range containing the values to be summed

If range_sum is omitted, Excel will sum the values in range_criterion.

Simple examples with SUM.IF

Here are a few concrete examples to help you understand how to use this function.

RangeCriteriaFormulaExpected result
B2:B10">100"=SOMME.SI(B2:B10;">100")Total of cells from B2 to B10 > 100
A2:A10"Customer A"=SUMM.SI(A2:A10; "Customer A";C2:C10)Sum of sales for “Customer A
A2:A10">01/01/2023"=SOMME.SI(A2:A10;">01/01/2023";B2:B10)Total amounts for dates after 2023

Define your criteria

1. Text

To filter by text, enclose the keyword in quotation marks.

=SUMM.SI(B2:B10; "Pending"; C2:C10)

This adds up the amounts from C2 to C10 when the status in B2 to B10 is “Pending”.

2. Numbers

Numerical criteria are used with comparison operators:

=SUM.SI(A2:A10; ">500")

This adds all values above 500.

3. Dates

Make sure you use the correct date format and enclose them in quotation marks.

=SUM.SI(A2:A10; ">=01/01/2022"; B2:B10)

4. Wildcards

Wildcards * (multiple characters) and ? (single character) can partially filter.

=SUM.SI(C2:C10; "A*Z"; B2:B10)

This adds up the amounts if the customer’s name begins with “A” and ends with “Z”.

Going further: SUM.SI.ENS for multiple criteria

When a single criterion isn’t enough, use SUM.SI.ENS to add up according to multiple conditions.

Syntax:

=SUMM.SI.ENS(range_sum; range_criterion1; criterion1; range_criterion2; criterion2; ...)

Example 1 :
Add up sales of a specific product for the month of January :

=SUMM.SI.ENS(C2:C10; A2:A10; "Product A"; B2:B10; "01/2023")

Example 2:
Add up the hours worked for an employee on a project :

=SOMM.SI.ENS(D2:D20; A2:A20; "Employee 1"; B2:B20; "Project X")

Integration with other functions

SUM.SI + NB.SI

Combine SUM.SI with NB .SI to obtain the sum and number of occurrences:

=SUMM.SI(B2:B20; "Customer B")
=NB.SI(B2:B20; "Customer B")

SUM.SI + SI

You can insert SUM.SI into a logic function:

=SI(SUM.SI(C2:C10;">500") > 3000; "Budget exceeded"; "Budget OK")

Creating summary tables with SUM.SI

Here’s an example of its use in a sales table:

ProductAmountMonth
Product A50001/2023
Product B30001/2023
Product A20002/2023

Formula for sum of sales of “Product A” :

=SUMM.SI(A2:A4; "Product A"; B2:B4)

Result: 700

Common errors to avoid

ProblemExplanation
Ranges of different sizesRanges must have the same number of lines
Omission of quotation marksText and numeric criteria must be entered correctly
Missing or empty valuesCheck data ranges to avoid #VALUE errors!
Incorrect syntaxCheck formula structure (semicolon, quotation marks, etc.)

Useful links for further reading