Show totals at the bottom of a SharePoint list

Short answer: use the Totals setting of a view. In the view editor, find the column you want to total and pick a calculation for it, such as count, average, maximum or minimum. For a sum, the column should be a Number column. If your total is not showing, the column type is the first thing to check.

What a view total is

A list shows rows. Sometimes you want one number under them: how many items are open, what the order amounts add up to, or the average days to finish. A view total is that number. It sits in a row at the bottom of the view.

Microsoft describes the setting on its page about creating and changing views. It says Totals "Displays summary calculations for the columns in the view, such as: count, average, maximum, minimum." The same page says "The columns that are available for totals and the settings available for each column differ..." So what you can pick depends on the column type and the type of list. Exact names may differ in your tenant, so look at the menu you see.

Before you start

Plan the list so the number means something.

Title. This column is required by default. Rename it to something like "Order" so it reads well, or turn off Require for it in the column settings.
Amount, a Number column. Use Number if you want to add values up. A Number column is the one that has a sum function.
Status, a Choice column. Number the choices if you want them to stay in your order, for example "1 Open", "2 In progress", "3 Done". A Choice column sorts by its text, so the number prefix keeps your order.
Order date, a Date column.

Save the view you plan to change as a new view first. Then a mistake costs nothing.

Step 1. Open the view editor

Microsoft's page says to use the view options menu on the command bar, choose the view you want, reopen the menu, and then select "Edit current view." In the classic experience, it says to pick the view from the Current View drop-down list on the List tab and click "Modify View." Menu names change, so look for the same words in your list.

Open your list from https://www.microsoft365.com and go to your site. If you do not know the list address, ask the person who set up the site.

Step 2. Find the Totals section

In the view editor, scroll down the page. The column list for Totals is in its own section. Each column has a drop-down next to it.

Step 3. Pick a calculation for each column

Open the drop-down next to the column and pick a calculation. Here is one way to start:

For the Title column, pick Count. Microsoft gives this example: setting the title column to Count in a document library makes the view display the number of documents.
For the Amount column, pick Sum if your menu offers it.
For a Date column, check what the menu offers.
Save the view and open it again.

A Microsoft Q&A answer says: "You can find the totals option in the small arrow next to each column." That is the column menu you see in the list itself. The same answer says a Number column "has a built-in sum function. Other types of columns do not have this function."

Totals and groups

Microsoft's page says the count also shows for each group in the view. If your view is grouped by Status, you can see how many items are in each group. A grouped view is a good way to get "3 open, 7 done" without extra work.

Group by a column that has few values. A column like Status works. A free text column with a different value on every row gives you hundreds of groups.

Why the total is not showing

Check these in order.

The column is a calculated column. A Microsoft Q&A answer says the column to sum "is a calculated column, and it does not have a sum option." That answer suggests a workaround: "create a simple flow to automatically copy the value of the calculated column to another new number column, so you can see the sum of this column."
The column is a Choice column. The Q&A answer above says a Number column "has a built-in sum function. Other types of columns do not have this function." A Microsoft Tech Community answer says: "For a number column you will find that Sum is available whereas for a single line of text column it only gives the Count option." If you need to add up a choice, add a Number column for the amount.
You did not save the view. Totals are part of the view. A total set in one view does not show in a different view.
You are looking at the wrong view. Switch views at the top right of the list.
The list is large. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: if your list has thousands of rows, test with a small view that is filtered first. See "SharePoint list over 5,000 items: what breaks and the fix".

Work through the checks in order and look at the column type first.

A simple example

Say you track purchase requests. You have Title, Amount (Number), Status (Choice) and Order date (Date).

Make a view called "Open requests" and filter Status to "1 Open".
Set Totals: Title to Count, Amount to Sum.
Save.

The bottom row now shows how many open requests there are and what they add up to. Each week you open one view and read two numbers.

If you want rows to change color when they are late, see "Turn overdue rows red in a SharePoint list".

What to avoid

Do not try to sum a Choice column. Add a Number column instead.
Do not try to sum a calculated column. Copy its value to a Number column as the Q&A answer above describes, or add the numbers a different way.
Do not set totals on a view and expect the same numbers in every view. Each view has its own settings.
Do not trust a total you have not checked. Add up five rows by hand once to make sure the view shows what you think.
Do not use a total as a security tool. A view is not security. Anyone who can open the list can open another view.
Do not use a number-looking text column. If the amount is typed into a text column, it cannot be summed. Use a Number column.

When you need more than a total

A total gives one number. If you need charts, trends or numbers by month, a list view is too small. See "Turn a SharePoint list into a simple dashboard". If the numbers must go to Excel, see "SharePoint list export to Excel fails or misses rows".

Honest limits

Totals show a number for what is in the view. They do not alert anyone, and they do not change when the data is outside the view. They are good for a quick count or sum. They are not a report. Menu names and options may differ in your tenant.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Can I show a total at the bottom of a SharePoint list?

Yes. Use the Totals setting of the view. Microsoft's page says it "Displays summary calculations for the columns in the view, such as: count, average, maximum, minimum."

Why is there no Sum option in my Totals menu?

Check the column type. A Microsoft Q&A answer says a Number column "has a built-in sum function" and other column types do not. A Microsoft Tech Community answer says a single line of text column "only gives the Count option."

Can I total a calculated column?

A Microsoft Q&A answer says the calculated column "does not have a sum option." It suggests a flow that copies the calculated value to a new Number column, which you can then sum.

Do totals show for each group?

Microsoft's page says a count set on a column also shows for each group in the view. Group by a column with few values, such as Status.

Do I need Power BI for totals?

No. A view total needs only the list. Power BI is for charts and trends. See "Turn a SharePoint list into a simple dashboard".