Last updated July 2026. SUMIF adds up the numbers in a range that meet one condition: =SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range). For example =SUMIF(B:B,"Fuel",C:C) totals every amount in column C where column B says Fuel. The first argument is the column you test, the second is what you are looking for, and the third is the column of numbers to add. For more than one condition, use SUMIFS, which takes the sum column first and then as many criteria pairs as you need. SUMIF is how you turn a long converted transaction list into a total per category, vendor, or month.
Once a PDF statement lands in Excel as hundreds of rows, the useful question is almost never what is the grand total, it is how much went to each vendor, each category, each month. SUMIF and SUMIFS answer exactly that, reading down the whole list and adding only the rows that match, which is why they are the workhorse formula for anyone reconciling or categorizing converted data.
How do I use SUMIF in Excel?
Write =SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range): the range is the column you check, the criteria is the value to match, and the sum_range is the column of numbers to add for the matching rows. To total every Fuel expense in a list where categories sit in column B and amounts in column C, use =SUMIF(B:B,"Fuel",C:C). Excel walks down column B, and every time it finds Fuel it adds the amount from the same row in column C.
Text criteria go in quotation marks; numbers do not. You can point criteria at a cell instead of typing the value, =SUMIF(B:B,E2,C:C), so the total updates when you change E2, which is ideal for a little summary block where each row totals a different category. If you leave out the third argument, SUMIF adds the range itself, so =SUMIF(C:C,">100") totals every amount over 100 in column C.
What is the difference between SUMIF and SUMIFS?
SUMIF handles one condition; SUMIFS handles several, and it puts the sum column first. In SUMIF the order is range, criteria, sum_range. In SUMIFS it flips to sum_range, then each criteria_range and criteria pair: =SUMIFS(C:C, B:B, "Fuel", D:D, "March"). That reversal trips people up, so the rule to remember is SUMIFS leads with the numbers you are adding, then lists the tests.
| Function | Conditions | Syntax |
|---|---|---|
| SUMIF | One | =SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range) |
| SUMIFS | One or many | =SUMIFS(sum_range, range1, crit1, range2, crit2, ...) |
Because SUMIFS also works with a single condition, many people use it for everything and never touch SUMIF, which keeps the argument order consistent across all their formulas. Both are available in every supported version of Excel, so there is no compatibility reason to prefer one.
How do I use SUMIF with multiple criteria?
Switch to SUMIFS and add a criteria_range and criteria pair for each test. To total Fuel expenses that fall in March, use =SUMIFS(C:C, B:B, "Fuel", D:D, "March"): the amounts are in C, the category test is B against Fuel, and the month test is D against March. Every pair you add narrows the result further, and a row is only summed if it satisfies all of them.
SUMIFS is an AND across your conditions, not an OR, so all criteria must be true for a row to count. If you genuinely need an OR (Fuel plus Parking, say), add two SUMIFS together: =SUMIFS(C:C,B:B,"Fuel")+SUMIFS(C:C,B:B,"Parking"). That reads cleanly and avoids the trap of expecting one SUMIFS to match either value.
How do I use SUMIF with a date range?
Use SUMIFS with two date criteria, one for on or after the start and one for on or before the end: =SUMIFS(C:C, A:A, ">="&E1, A:A, "<="&E2), where E1 and E2 hold the two dates. The key detail is the ampersand: you join the comparison operator to the cell with &, so ">="&E1 builds the criteria ">=1/1/2026" that Excel understands. Referencing the dates in cells keeps the formula readable and lets you change the window without editing it.
This only works if column A holds real dates rather than text, which is the usual catch on converted files. If your date column is left-aligned text, the comparison silently matches nothing; fix it first by getting the dates into a real date format so the greater-than and less-than tests actually compare.
How do I use SUMIF with text or a partial match?
Use wildcards in the criteria: an asterisk stands for any number of characters and a question mark for a single character. =SUMIF(B:B,"*fuel*",C:C) totals every row whose category contains the word fuel anywhere, so it catches Fuel, Fuel Surcharge, and Diesel Fuel in one shot. =SUMIF(B:B,"Shell*",C:C) matches anything that starts with Shell. Wildcards work on text only, which is exactly right for grouping messy vendor names that a conversion left slightly inconsistent.
To match a value stored in a cell but still use wildcards, wrap the cell with asterisks using the ampersand: =SUMIF(B:B,"*"&E2&"*",C:C) totals every row that contains whatever text is in E2. That gives you a live, type-anything category filter on top of a converted list.
Why is my SUMIF returning 0?
A SUMIF that returns 0 when you can see matching rows almost always has one of three problems, and the most common by far is that the numbers in the sum column are text, not numbers. Text values add up to zero, so the criteria matches but the total stays 0. The other two causes are a criteria mismatch from a trailing space or different spelling, and pointing at the wrong column in one of the arguments.
Check the sum column first: if the amounts are left-aligned or a plain SUM of them also reads 0, they are text, and you need to convert them to real numbers before any total will work. If the numbers are fine but specific categories still miss, a hidden space on the category is the culprit, so strip stray spaces with TRIM on the criteria column and the matches return. Confirming a category total against the printed statement is the same accuracy check you run when you sum a whole column.
Can SUMIF add a whole column?
Yes. You can hand SUMIF and SUMIFS entire column references like B:B and C:C, and they only add the rows that match, so =SUMIF(B:B,"Fuel",C:C) is perfectly valid and covers new rows you add later without editing the formula. On very large sheets a bounded range like C2:C5000 calculates a little faster, but for most converted files the whole-column form is convenient and the speed difference is invisible.
The two ranges do need to line up. SUMIF uses the sum_range starting at the same top row as the range, so if your test column starts at B2, keep the sum column starting at C2 too. Mismatched start rows are a subtle way to get totals that are off by a row.
From converted list to clean totals
SUMIF turns a raw converted list into the numbers you actually report, but it can only add what came in as real numbers. Start from a clean PDF to Excel conversion so your amounts are numeric and your dates are real, and the category totals fall out in one formula. When the job is ongoing expense tracking rather than a one-off report, software that reads receipts and categorizes every expense automatically does this grouping for you before it ever reaches a spreadsheet.
Category totals are one part of tidying a converted file. For the full order of operations, from fixing text numbers to summing and summarizing, follow the guide to cleaning up data after a PDF conversion, and use a pivot table when you want every category totaled at once instead of one SUMIF per line.