How to Use the Excel SUMIF with Blank Cells (3 Methods)

Dataset Overview

Let’s take a dataset where a charitable organization named Save the Poor has a list of donations.

Here, in the column of Donor Name, the blank cells represent those donors who want to stay anonymous. Now, we are interested in calculating the total anonymous donation, meaning we need to sum up the Donation Amounts next to blank cells.

Method 1 – Summing Up Total Run of Unnamed Donors

We can use the following formula, consisting of the SUMIF function, to sum up the anonymous donation amount.

Click Enter to get the result.

Method 2 – Summing Up Pseudo Blank Cells Using Trim Function and Helper Column

Sometimes we need to sum up values corresponding to cells that look blank or empty, but in reality, they contain white spaces. It can happen due to improper data extraction from other sources into Excel. For illustration, here we introduce some white spaces in the first two of three blank cells that we saw in the previous example. The SUMIF function will only take the last truly blank cell and display 100 as a result.

To correct the result, we need to trim the whitespace using the TRIM function and store the result in a separate Helper Column.

In the above picture, we can see that we have used the TRIM function in cell C5 to remove the white spaces from both ends of the text (leading and trailing spaces).

Use the Fill Handle feature to autofill the rest of the cells from C6 to C14.

Apply the SUMIF function while using the Helper Column as the criteria range in cell F5:

As a result, we will get our desired result, which is 550.

Alternative: Summing Up Pseudo Blank Cells Without Helper Column

Use the following formula consisting of the SUMPRODUCT, LEN, and TRIM functions to sum up the cells corresponding to all pseudo blank cells:

You will get the same result.

Method 3 – Using VBA SUMIF to Sum Cells Corresponding to Blank Cells

In this example, we will apply a VBA code in cell E5 to sum cells corresponding to blank cells.

Copy and paste the VBA code: 

• Open the VBA Editor by clicking ALT+F11.

• Click the left button on the mouse on the sheet name to open the sheet module.

• Copy and paste the following code:

VBA Code Syntax:

Sub Sum_Blank()
Range("E5").Value = Application.WorksheetFunction.SumIf(Range("B5:B14"), "", Range("C5:C14"))
End Sub

• Run the code by clicking F5. You will see the desired result in cell E5.

Sum Values Based on Non-Blank Cells

If you want to sum cells corresponding to non-blank cells from the dataset that we have used in the 1st example, you can do that only by slightly modifying the formula as supplied below:

As a result, you will get the desired result.

Read More: How to Use SUMIF Function to Sum Not Blank Cells in Excel

Excel Sums Blank Cells As Zero

On occasion, instead of displaying the result of a sum as 0, it may be more practical to display the result as a blank cell in Excel. In this section, we will learn how to display zero sum results as blank cells in Excel. For illustration, suppose we have four columns, and in the bottom cells, the sums are calculated.

Here, we can see that B14 and E14 have 0 sum values. Now, our target is to display them as blank cells. To do that, follow the steps below.

Steps:

• Select the bottom row or the cells where you want to change the display format.
• Right-click on the mouse.
• The context menu will appear. From the context menu, click on Format Cells.

• A new window named Format Cells will appear.
• From the menu, click on Custom from the Category tab in the left corner.
• In the Type bar, write General;General;;@ .
• Click OK.

• You will see that the cells that contained 0 are now displayed as blank cells.

Things to Remember

• Check for Pseudo Blank Cells:
  • If your dataset contains white spaces or pseudo blank cells, follow the second method.
• Clean Dataset (No Pseudo Blank Cells):
  • For a clean dataset without pseudo blank cells, use the first and third methods to accomplish your task.

Download Practice Workbook

You can download the practice workbook from here:

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