How to sum a whole column without the header in Google Sheets
Google Sheets formula
=SUM(B2:B)Use an open-ended range that starts below the header: =SUM(B2:B) adds everything from B2 to the bottom of the sheet, including rows added later.
- Result on the example
- $1,170 in
E1 - Excel
- See below
See it work
The formula is already in E1. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
B2:B has a start cell but no end row, so Google Sheets reads it as "B2 down to the last row of the sheet". A donation typed in row 8 or row 800 is included without editing the formula, and the header in B1 is left out.
=SUM(B2:B)Result1170
B2:B46 rows × 1 col: $250, $75, $120, $500, …A range: 46 cells in one column.
SUM(B2:B)1170SUM: Adds numbers and ranges. Skips text and blanks.- number1
B2:B46 rows × 1 col: $250, $75, $120, $500, …
- number1
In Excel
=SUM(B:B) with the total outside column B (SUM skips the header text), or turn the data into a Table and use =SUM(Table1[Donation]).Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =SUM(B:B) | $1,170 | The whole column, header included. SUM skips the header text, and this form also works in Excel. |
| =SUM(B2:B1000) | $1,170 | A fixed range with room to spare. It stops growing at row 1000. |
Common mistakes
- The total can't sit in column B:
=SUM(B2:B)in B20 includes itself and becomes a circular reference. - Anything else in column B below the data, like a note with a number or a second total, is added too. Keep the column for the data only.
- Open-ended ranges inside ARRAYFORMULA or FILTER reach every empty row to the bottom of the sheet. Filter out blanks, as in
FILTER(B2:B,B2:B<>""), so results don't fill with zeros.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Sum a whole column without the header
E1, total the donations from B2 down to the bottom of the sheet, so rows added later are included.Questions
How do I do this in Excel?
Excel has no B2:B. Use =SUM(B:B) outside column B, or convert the data to a Table (Ctrl+T) and use =SUM(Table1[Donation]), which grows with the table.
How do I sum a growing column with a condition?
Open-ended ranges work in SUMIF too: =SUMIF(A2:A,">="&DATE(2026,9,10),B2:B).
Can a row be open-ended too?
Yes. =SUM(C2:2) adds row 2 from column C to the last column.
Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.