What is the key purpose of the autosum feature in Excel?

The key purpose of the autosum feature in Excel is to automatically sum a range of cells. When you use autosum, Excel quickly identifies the range of cells that you want to add together, making it a convenient tool for performing summation tasks without needing to manually enter formulas. This feature streamlines the process, especially when dealing with extensive datasets in which calculating totals is necessary for analysis and reporting.

The autosum function is particularly valuable as it saves time and minimizes the risk of errors that can arise from manually selecting ranges or typing out formulas. It allows users to efficiently consolidate data and focus on other aspects of their spreadsheet work.