Creating running totals in Airtable similar to Excel functionality

Other Questions Airtable
1

I’m working on an Airtable base and need help with calculating cumulative sums.

I want to create a running total that adds up values as you go down the rows, just like you can do in Excel. Here’s what I’m trying to achieve:

Amount    Running Total
5         5
3         8
7         15
2         17

Basically, each row should show the sum of all values from the first row up to the current row. In Excel this would be easy with formulas, but I’m not sure how to set this up in Airtable. Is there a formula or method that can accomplish this? I’ve tried a few approaches but haven’t found the right solution yet.

Any suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks!

2

Running totals in Airtable can be a challenge given the lack of Excel’s relative referencing. One effective method is to create a helper column using an autonumber field to keep track of the row order. After that, implement a formula field with SUMIF({Autonumber}, "<="&{Autonumber}, {Amount}). This will accumulate all amounts where the autonumber is less than or equal to the current row, effectively giving you the running total. However, do note that if you change the order of the records afterwards, it will disrupt the sequence and can lead to inaccuracies. For more intricate calculations, scripting or external tools might be necessary, but for straightforward applications, this method could serve your needs well.