Excel - Why Excel Subtotals Deserve Your Love - Episode 2428

Microsoft Excel Tutorial: I know a lot of people who hate Subtotals in Excel and think they should be removed. I made this video in defense of Excel Subtotals.

Welcome to episode 2428 of the MrExcel Podcast, where we will be discussing the often overlooked and underappreciated feature of Excel Subtotals. In this video, I will show you how to use Subtotals to quickly and efficiently summarize your data in just nine clicks.

Many people may not realize the power and versatility of Subtotals, but I am here to tell you that they deserve your love and attention. In just a few simple steps, you can sort your data by any category, add subtotals, and even use the Group and Outline buttons to further organize your data. And don't worry, I will also address the common misconception that Subtotals are only for accountants who are not willing to use Pivot Tables.

But why should you bother with Subtotals when you can just use a Pivot Table, you may ask? Well, for starters, Subtotals allow you to see all of the details of your data while still providing a summary. And with just a few clicks, you can easily add multiple levels of subtotals for even more detailed analysis. Plus, Subtotals are a great alternative for those who may not be as familiar with Pivot Tables or prefer a simpler solution.

Now, I know there are some of you out there who may not be fans of Subtotals, and that's okay. But before you dismiss them completely, I urge you to give them a chance and see how they can make your data analysis more efficient and organized. And for those of you who are already fans of Subtotals, I hope this video will provide some new tips and tricks to enhance your experience. So, let's dive in and learn more about the power of Subtotals in Excel.

Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction to using subtotals in Excel
(00:10) Sorting data by customer
(00:20) Adding subtotals at each change in customer
(00:31) Using the subtotal function for summary information
(01:01) Sorting subtotals in descending order
(01:23) Copying subtotals to another location
(01:41) Adding a second level of subtotals
(02:00) Formatting subtotals for a cleaner view
(02:37) Introduction to the topic of subtotals
(03:11) Opinions on subtotals from Twitter users
(04:38) Manually adding subtotals vs using the subtotal function
(06:27) The debate over whether subtotals should be removed from Excel
(07:02) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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Accountants love the subtotals feature in Excel. We love to see details but add a little summary information. I have a lot of friends who think Subtotals should be deprecated and that anytime you use subtotals, you should be using a pivot table instead. That's rubbish. There are times when subtotals are the perfect solution. What do you think? Do you love them or loathe them?



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[excelisfun]

Such an awesome feature when you want the option to show detail or not : ) Fun speed up section of the bad way... I sure don't mind Subtotals, especially with Alt + ;

[Tommie_Rogers]

I love subtotals. When I explained SUBTOTALS to students in one of my classes the one student got very excited and said she will be using SUBTOTALS on a regular basis in future as it will save her a LOT of time when doing some basic data analysis. I have had similar comments from my students in other classes. I love it and so do they.

[shiffamohammed]

I used subtotals before I did not know how to use the pivot table. And now I see flexible way of using subtotals, also I understand that there is much more to learn about the subtotals. Keep subtotals is my vote. Thank you Mr Excel, for for sharing the light.

[excel-in-g]

Man, I almost forgot about that feature. I used them a lot when I was not good at all at making formulae and prior to discovering pivots.
My feeling? When a feature is there, it means it has a use.

[montmraaa]

The challenge with subtotals is that they're not easy to make dynamic based upon data sets that change. I am continuously asked to setup new processes in a way that they can be run in an automated fashion. Other options are normally a simple "refresh". I agree that there are times when the format that subtotals offers is the way to go, but not normally for me.

[OzduSoleilDATA]

I'm glad you showed the high-speed part where you were entering those totals. That helped me understand why I've never needed the Subtotals feature.

You didn't include my comment about why I loathe subtotals. It's always when I get someone else's workbook to review, and they've used subtotals:

1. I see them so rarely that when I do see them, I've gotta figure out how to un-do them so that I can look at everything.
2. I have no idea what madness is going to spring out when the subtotals are undone. 😬

But, I do see a reason for their use. Keep using them, and I'll fight anyone who wants them deprecated.

[johnborg]

Thanks Mr Excel!!! Pivot Tables is the way to go in my views. :) :)

[GeertDelmulle]

That is a great feature, we should all use it more! 🙂

[CeliaAlvesSolveExcel]

I had never used this, Bill. This is fantastic!

[jazzista]

Subtotals are just to get by if you don't know how to use a pivot table. Besides, pivot tables were created to summarized data. I work in accounting/finance and when i learned how to use pivot tables ago, i never went back to use subtotals anymore. I even completely forgot that feature. That quote that only accountants that don't accept pivot tables is so true... great conversation BTW

[lustforlife]

This is brilliant, so helpful, thanks so much

[wayneedmondson]

Hi Mr. Excel. Include me on the like side. Almost every feature of EXCEL has some use case that makes it valuable. The only thing I hate with a passion is cell Merge which creates too many problems with range selection.. just my opinion. Thanks always for sparking the discussion. Thumbs up!!

[drsteele]

I am loath to have any feature removed even if I loathe it.

[darrylmorgan]

I'm A Big Fan Of Pivot Tables But I Agree With You That In The Right Situation Subtotals Are The Perfect Solution So Yes I Love Subtotals..Thank You Mr Excel :)

[JonathanExcels]

Useful feature but in limited circumstances

[Geevs]

alt-semi colon just changed my life...how did I miss this trick? On another note don't depreciate subtotals (even though I don't see myself using this feature)

[stuartuhlhorn]

It’s just a case of using the right tool for the job.

[usmaniqbal]

Great Sr, Sr please also share link to download file..

[artrothberg]

While I agree that Subtotals are valuable., you should have pointed out that they do not work with Tables

[tommyharris]

Aren't tables easier than subtotals?