Google Spreadsheet: Sum of row n through last row

calendar_today Asked Aug 31, 2012
thumb_up 39 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

If you want something that just works in Google Spreadsheets (as the title suggests), you can use open-ended ranges: =SUM(A2:A) In Excel, you can specify the maximum rows for that…. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #17th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2012.


The Problem (Q-score 18, ranked #17th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2012

I want to create a TOTAL row at the top of my spreadsheet. In this row, each cell should be the SUM of the values in the column below the TOTAL row.

So for example, if the total row is Row 1, cell A1 should be the SUM of A2 through the last row in column A. The number of rows in the spreadsheet will grow over time, so I can’t just say SUM(A2:A500) because eventually there will be row 501, 502, etc.

Thanks!!

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds elite answer (top 10 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — elite answer (top 10 %%) (+39)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

If you want something that just works in Google Spreadsheets (as the title suggests), you can use open-ended ranges:

=SUM(A2:A)

In Excel, you can specify the maximum rows for that version; for example, for 2007 and 2010:

=SUM(A2:A1048576)

This will work in Google Spreadsheets as well, and is beyond the current theoretical row limit in GSheets (400000)*.

Edit: *The quoted limit of the new version of Sheets is actually now 2 million cells.


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

Ranked #17th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 88% 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 2012 and 2026

The answer is 14 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

Why is this answer the top decile of Excel VBA Q&A?
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Answer score +39 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~13; this entry is elite. The score plus 18 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+18) means the asker and 38 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

This answer is 14 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2012, which is 14 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 #16?
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The pattern one rank above is “Return values from the row above to the current row”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 18, Answer-score 39, original post 2012, ranked #17th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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