Sum Anomaly Reporting
How the Sum check reports violations: the Shape Anomaly it produces, what the two numbers mean, and why the anomaly carries no source records.
Anomaly Messages
Sum reports a Shape Anomaly, never a Record Anomaly. The rule evaluates the column as a whole, so there is no violating row to attach a message to.
Shape Anomaly
Reading the message:
<actual_sum>is the total the check computed across the filtered rows.<value>is the expected total configured on the check.
Both numbers are rendered with three decimal places, so a whole total appears as 12480.000.
Comparing the two tells you the size and the direction of the gap, which is usually the fastest way to recognize what went wrong: a total that is short by exactly one row's worth points at a dropped record, while a total that is roughly double points at a load that ran twice.
When a filter is set, the message ends with [filter: <expression>] so the evaluated scope is visible in the alert.
Because the anomaly belongs to the column rather than to a set of rows, the Source Records view has nothing to list. Pair the check with a per-row rule when you also need to see the records.
Custom Anomaly Description does not apply to this rule. The option replaces the message on Record Anomalies, and Sum emits a Shape Anomaly only.
See Also
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Examples
Three production scenarios with sample data, the resulting anomaly message, and the SQL equivalent of what the check evaluates.
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Best Practices
Guidelines for control totals, scoping with a filter, and choosing between Sum and a per-row rule.
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Permissions
The team permission each action needs: view, create, edit, archive, restore, and delete.
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How It Works
The complete reference: definition, field scope, the expected total, exact equality, NULL handling, filter behavior, and why coverage does not apply.