the Auto sum on Works Spreadsheet doesn't work instead of adding it up it just puts sum and I don't know what I am doing wrong

Question

ok So I am doing a spread sheet for a Food Bank and I fill in the payments but for some reason the Auto Sum doesn't add the numbers up and I don't kn0w why or if I am nit doing it right

Answer 1

Hi!

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

This is a very common issue in Microsoft Excel and the good news is it’s usually something simple.

Kindly do a test and open a new sheet and manually type 10, 20, and 30 and do an auto sum below it. If that works on a new sheet that means previous data could have formatting issues.

Check as well if cell is converted to text instead of numbers.

Let me know once done so I can assist you further.

Answer 2

AutoSum usually shows =SUM(...) in the cell until Enter is pressed. If the result still does not appear, check these points:

1. Confirm AutoSum is used correctly
   1. Click an empty cell directly below the numbers in a column (or to the right of numbers in a row).
   2. On the Home or Formulas tab, select AutoSum > Sum.
   3. Excel should highlight the range to add (for example B2:B10).
   4. Press Enter. The cell should now show the total, not the word SUM.
2. Make sure numbers are real numbers, not text
   • Click one of the “numbers” that should be added.
   • If it is left‑aligned or has a small green triangle and an error like “Number stored as text,” Excel will not sum it correctly.
   • Fix by re‑typing the value, or:
     • Select the cells
     • On the warning icon, choose Convert to Number.
3. Check that calculation is automatic
   • Go to Formulas > Calculation Options.
   • Ensure Automatic is selected. If it is Manual, change to Automatic, then press F9 to recalculate.
4. Check that the formula is not entered as text
   • If the cell literally shows =SUM(B2:B10) instead of the result, the formula may be formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe.
   • Select the cell, look in the formula bar:
     • If it starts with '= (apostrophe), delete the ' and press Enter.
     • If the cell format is Text, change it to General, then press F2 and Enter.
5. Re‑create the formula
   • Delete the cell with the incorrect result.
   • Click the correct empty cell below the numbers.
   • Click AutoSum > Sum, confirm the highlighted range, and press Enter.

If these steps are followed, AutoSum will add the food bank payment amounts correctly instead of just showing SUM.

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References:

• Use Excel as your calculator
• Learn more about SUM
• Ways to add values in an Excel spreadsheet
• Use Excel as your calculator in Excel for Mac