Customising the Status Bar
Right-click the status bar to switch statistics and indicators on or off. There are far more than the three you see.
More Than Sum and Average
The default shows average, count and sum. Right-click and you can add minimum, maximum, numerical count and several useful indicators.
- Right-click the bar — A long tick list appears
- Tick what you want — Changes apply instantly
- Click away — The menu closes
How to do it
Right-click anywhere on the status bar ▸ tick or untick items
Your choices are saved for Excel itself, not for the file, so they follow you to every workbook.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Average, Count, Sum | On by default |
| Minimum and Maximum | Worth adding |
| Numerical Count | Counts numbers only |
| Caps Lock and Num Lock | Handy indicators |
Worth Switching On
Right-click the status bar ▸ tick Minimum, Maximum, Numerical Count
| Item | What it shows | Add it? |
|---|---|---|
| Sum | Total of selected numbers | On by default |
| Average | Mean of the selection | On by default |
| Count | Cells with anything in them | On by default |
| Numerical Count | Cells with numbers only | Yes |
| Minimum | Smallest value | Yes |
| Maximum | Largest value | Yes |
Result: Add 3 more
Count and Numerical Count differing is the fastest way to spot numbers stored as text.
Do this
- Add Minimum, Maximum and Numerical Count
- Compare Count and Numerical Count to spot text numbers
- Turn on Caps Lock if you mistype often
Avoid
- Living with only the three defaults
- Confusing Count with Numerical Count
- Expecting the setting to travel with the file
📌 Numerical Count and Count are different: Count includes text, Numerical Count does not.
Practice
- Right-click the status bar and add Maximum.
- Add Numerical Count too.
- Find a range where the two counts differ.
Quick quiz: You select 50 cells. Count says 50 but Numerical Count says 47. What does that tell you?
- Three cells are empty
- Three of them are text, not numbers
- Excel has miscounted
Show answer
Count = 50 Numerical Count = 47 → 3 values are text — This gap is the quickest way to find numbers that arrived as text.
🔒 Want the full interactive course? This is a free preview. The complete 39-module Excel Master Course — with hands-on lessons, quizzes and a certificate — is available inside the app.
Learn Excel the fun way
Bite-size interactive lessons, quizzes, streaks and a certificate.
Start free →
Bite-size interactive lessons, quizzes, streaks and a certificate.
Start free →