Excel / 6 min read
SUMIF Formula Examples for Excel and Google Sheets
Learn the most useful SUMIF patterns with copyable examples for categories, dates, text matches, and thresholds.
SUMIF adds numbers that match one condition. The most common patterns are summing by category, by text label, by amount threshold, and by date-related criteria.
Check this first
- Make sure the criteria range and sum range line up row for row.
- Quote text criteria like "Paid" or "North".
- Use operators inside quotes for thresholds such as ">100".
- Test the condition in a helper column if results look off.
Working examples
Sum values where the status is Paid
=SUMIF(B2:B20, "Paid", C2:C20)Sum values greater than 100
=SUMIF(C2:C20, ">100", C2:C20)What SUMIF is best at
SUMIF is the first formula many spreadsheet users need after basic totals. It handles one condition cleanly and stays easier to read than a more advanced formula when the problem is simple.
Typical use cases include summing sales by region, expenses by category, or hours by project label.
How the three arguments work
The first range is what Excel or Sheets checks. The criterion is the rule. The last range is what gets added. If the first and last ranges do not line up, the result can be misleading even when the formula appears to work.
- Range: where the condition is tested.
- Criteria: the value or rule to match.
- Sum range: the numbers to add when the rule matches.
When to switch to SUMIFS
If you need more than one condition, move to SUMIFS instead of trying to force SUMIF to do too much. Keeping the formula matched to the problem makes later debugging much easier.