How to Add a Running Total in Excel (Cumulative Sum)
A running total means fiddling with =SUM($B$2:B2), half-absolute and half-relative, and it silently goes wrong the moment you sort or insert rows. Here's why, and the one-click way to add the cumulative sum on every row.
Last updated: August 2026
| Value | Running total | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | → | 10 |
| 20 | → | 30 |
| 30 | → | 60 |
Why the expanding-range trick breaks
The standard formula is =SUM($B$2:B2) copied down — an absolute start anchor with a relative end so the range grows one row per line. It reads fine until you touch the layout: insert a row, delete one, or sort the column, and every anchored range shifts underneath, so the cumulative totals quietly stop matching the data. There's no single built-in for a running sum, so you're stuck maintaining that fragile mixed reference by hand.
The 1-click way — Tellsheet's Running Total
Select the numeric column and run Running Total. It adds a cumulative-sum column — the total so far on every row — with no anchored formula to maintain. Blank and non-numeric rows carry the total forward instead of breaking it, and the output is real numbers you can chart and filter. Pairs with Percent of Total and Cumulative Percent.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do a running total in Excel?
Manually it's =SUM($B$2:B2) copied down. Running Total adds the same cumulative column in one click, with no formula to anchor.
Why does the SUM($B$2:B2) trick break?
The expanding range depends on row positions, so inserting, deleting or sorting rows shifts the anchors and corrupts the totals.
What happens to blank or text rows?
They carry the running total forward unchanged, so subtotal labels and gaps don't reset or break the column.
Is the result a real number?
Yes — the running total is written as real numbers you can chart, filter and compute on.
Related Excel guides
Add a running total in one click
Running Total builds a cumulative-sum column that survives sorting and inserts — no anchored SUM, just real numbers.
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