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On its own, the SUBTOTAL function is a quiet powerhouse. In both Excel and Google Sheets it lets you calculate sums, averages, counts, and more that automatically respond to filters and hidden rows. Instead of rewriting SUM or AVERAGE every time you slice your data, you call SUBTOTAL with a function number, like 9 or 109 for SUM, and a range such as A2:A500. Excel even layers this into its Subtotal command so you can insert group-level totals and a grand total in a few clicks.
But in a real business, you do not run SUBTOTAL once. You repeat the same ritual every week: export CRM data, paste it into Excel, clean the columns, set up filters, add SUBTOTAL formulas, double check that hidden rows are treated correctly, and then copy charts into a slide deck. That is where an AI computer agent changes the story. Instead of humans re-building the same filtered views and subtotals, you hand the workflow to an agent that opens the sheet, refreshes data, applies the right SUBTOTAL function numbers, validates results against spot checks, and ships your reports while you are on sales calls. Delegating this to an agent turns a fragile manual habit into a dependable background process.
Before you automate, you need to be confident with the basics. SUBTOTAL works the same conceptually in both tools:
Official references:
In both Excel and Sheets you can swap function_num for different views:
This lets a marketer or agency owner answer questions like: what is the average deal size of visible deals, or the maximum spend in the filtered period, without touching the underlying data.
SUBTOTAL ignores other SUBTOTAL results inside its refs. That means you can safely nest group subtotals and a grand total without inflating your numbers.
Once your formulas are solid, you can reduce repetitive clicks using built-in or low-code tools.
Pros: Zero formula writing once set up, robust for non-technical users. Cons: Less flexible for multi-sheet or cross-file reporting.
Pros: Non-destructive filters, perfect for teams sharing the same sheet. Cons: Still requires you to open the sheet, switch views, and export data manually.
You can have tools like Zapier or Microsoft Power Automate push fresh data into your Sheets or Excel files where SUBTOTAL is already configured:
Pros: Keeps data live without manual copy paste. Cons: Integrations require setup, and logic still lives in scattered spreadsheets.
When your team is running dozens of reports across clients or business units, manual and no-code methods still leave you clicking. An AI computer agent, like one built on Simular Pro, can operate your desktop, browser, Excel, and Google Sheets as if it were a trained analyst.
Imagine your Monday pipeline ritual:
Pros: Fully hands-off, consistent, and transparent; every agent action can be inspected and adjusted. Cons: Requires initial design and testing of the workflow, and runs best on stable report formats.
For agencies juggling many client workbooks:
Pros: Massive leverage for account managers; easy to roll out new clients. Cons: Template changes must be coordinated so the agent scripts stay in sync.
You might prefer to keep humans in the loop:
Pros: Best of both worlds: human judgment with machine execution. Cons: Still requires lightweight review time from your team.
As your reporting load grows, these AI agent patterns turn SUBTOTAL from a handy formula into a backbone of reliable, automated insight delivery across Excel and Google Sheets.
