Excel formula – auto sum for the same types

calendar_today Asked Dec 22, 2009
thumb_up 8 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Use a pivot table for this. Add a header row to your data ("data type", "value") Select your data Insert pivot table Drag "data type"-header to the Row Labels area Drag…. This is a prose walkthrough, ranked #177th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2009.


The Problem (Q-score 6, ranked #177th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2009

I need a quick an simple excel formula to get the sum of values for different types of objects as listed below:

Type1  10 
Type1  10 
Type1  10 
Type2  10 
Type2  10 
Type2  10 
Type2  10 
Type3  10 
Type3  10

Number of items and number of types are unknown (long list), in a different worksheet I would like to get sum of types like:

Sumof Type1: 30
Sumof Type2: 40
Sumof Type3: 20

I need no VBA, just simple excel formula please..

BR

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+8)

Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block

Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.

Use a pivot table for this.

  1. Add a header row to your data (“data type”, “value”)
  2. Select your data
  3. Insert pivot table
  4. Drag “data type”-header to the Row Labels area
  5. Drag “value”-header to the Values area
  6. Make sure it says “Sum of value” and not “Count of value” in the Values area, if not you need to double-click it and change to use sum.

You could also use the “Add subtotals” feature for this, but pivot tables are more flexible and powerful.


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #177th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 98% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2009 and 2026

The answer is 17 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a below-median answer — when does it still fit?
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Answer score +8 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is niche. The score plus 6 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+6) means the asker and 7 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

The answer has no code block — how do I turn it into a snippet?
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Use the walkthrough above as a checklist, then open a top-10 Excel VBA archive entry for a concrete starting template you can adapt.

This answer is 17 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2009, which is 17 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #176?
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The pattern one rank above is “Excel automation – Select all active cells”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 6, Answer-score 8, original post 2009, ranked #177th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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