by In this article, you will learn how to build an Excel IF statement for different types of values as well as how to create multiple IF statements.
IF is one of the most popular and useful functions in Excel. Generally, you use an IF statement to test a condition and to return one value if the condition is met, and another value if the condition is not met.
In this tutorial, we are going to learn the syntax and common usages of the Excel IF function, and then take a closer look at formula examples that will hopefully prove helpful to both beginners and experienced users.
IF function in Excel
IF is one of logical functions that evaluates a certain condition and returns one value if the condition is TRUE, and another value if the condition is FALSE.
The syntax of the IF function is as follows:
As you see, IF takes a total of 3 arguments, but only the first one is obligatory, the other two are optional.
Logical_test (required) - the condition to test. Can be evaluated as either TRUE or FALSE.
Value_if_true (optional) - the value to return when the logical test evaluates to TRUE, i.e. the condition is met. If omitted, the value_if_false argument must be defined.
Value_if_false (optional) - the value to return when the logical test evaluates to FALSE, i.e. the condition is not met. If omitted, the value_if_true argument must be set.
Basic IF formula in Excel
To create a simple If then statement in Excel, this is what you need to do:
- For logical_test, write an expression that returns either TRUE or FALSE. For this, you'd normally use one of the logical operators.
- For value_if_true, specify what to return when the logical test evaluates to TRUE.
- For value_if_false, specify what to return when the logical test evaluates to FALSE. Though this argument is optional, we recommend always configuring it to avoid unexpected results. For the detailed explanation, please see Excel IF: things to know.
As an example, let's write a very simple IF formula that checks a value in cell A2 and returns "Good" if the value is greater than 80, "Bad" otherwise:
=IF(B2>80, "Good", "Bad")
This formula goes to C2, and then is copied down through C7:
In case you wish to return a value only when the condition is met (or not met), otherwise - nothing, then use an empty string ("") for the "undefined" argument. For example:
=IF(B2>80, "Good", "")
This formula will return "Good" if the value in A2 is greater than 80, a blank cell otherwise:
Excel If then formula: things to know
Though the last two parameters of the IF function are optional, your formula may produce unexpected results if you don't know the underlying logic.
If value_if_true is omitted
If the 2nd argument of your Excel IF formula is omitted (i.e. there are two consecutive commas after the logical test), you'll get zero (0) when the condition is met, which makes no sense in most cases. Here is an example of such a formula:
=IF(B2>80, , "Bad")
To return a blank cell instead, supply an empty string ("") for the second parameter, like this:
=IF(B2>80, "", "Bad")
The screenshot below demonstrates the difference:
If value_if_false is omitted
Omitting the 3rd parameter of IF will produce the following results when the logical test evaluates to FALSE.
If there is just a closing bracket after value_if_true, the IF function will return the logical value FALSE. Quite unexpected, isn't it? Here is an example of such a formula:
=IF(B2>80, "Good")
Typing a comma after the value_if_true argument will force Excel to return 0, which doesn't make much sense either:
=IF(B2>80, "Good",)
The most reasonable approach is using a zero-length string ("") to get a blank cell when the condition is not met:
=IF(B2>80, "Good", "")
Tip. To return a logical value when the specified condition is met or not met, supply TRUE for value_if_true and FALSE for value_if_false. For the results to be Boolean values that other Excel functions can recognize, don't enclose TRUE and FALSE in double quotes as this will turn them into normal text values.
Using IF function in Excel - formula examples
Now that you are familiar with the IF function's syntax, let's look at some formula examples and learn how to use If then statements in real-life scenarios.
Excel IF function with numbers
To build an IF statement for numbers, use logical operators such as:
- Equal to (=)
- Not equal to (<>)
- Greater than (>)
- Greater than or equal to (>=)
- Less than (<)
- Less than or equal to (<=)
Above, you have already seen an example of such a formula that checks if a number is greater than a given number.
And here's a formula that checks if a cell contains a negative number:
=IF(B2<0, "Invalid", "")
For negative numbers (which are less than 0), the formula returns "Invalid"; for zeros and positive numbers - a blank cell.
Excel IF function with text
Commonly, you write an IF statement for text values using either "equal to" or "not equal to" operator.
For example, the following formula checks the Delivery Status in B2 to determine whether an action is required or not:
=IF(B2="delivered", "No", "Yes")
Translated into plain English, the formula says: return "No" if B2 is equal to "delivered", "Yes" otherwise.
Another way to achieve the same result is to use the "not equal to" operator and swap the value_if_true and value_if_false values:
=IF(C2<>"delivered", "Yes", "No")
Notes:
- When using text values for IF's parameters, remember to always enclose them in double quotes.
- Like most other Excel functions, IF is case-insensitive by default. In the above example, it does not differentiate between "delivered", "Delivered", and "DELIVERED".
Case-sensitive IF statement for text values
To treat uppercase and lowercase letters as different characters, use IF in combination with the case-sensitive EXACT function.
For example, to return "No" only when B2 contains "DELIVERED" (the uppercase), you'd use this formula:
=IF(EXACT(B2,"DELIVERED"), "No", "Yes")
If cell contains partial text
In situation when you want to base the condition on partial match rather than exact match, an immediate solution that comes to mind is using wildcards in the logical test. However, this simple and obvious approach won't work. Many functions accept wildcards, but regrettably IF is not one of them.
A working solution is to use IF in combination with ISNUMBER and SEARCH (case-insensitive) or FIND (case-sensitive).
For example, in case "No" action is required both for "Delivered" and "Out for delivery" items, the following formula will work a treat:
=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("deliv", B2)), "No", "Yes")
For more information, please see:
Excel IF statement with dates
At first sight, it may seem that IF formulas for dates are akin to IF statements for numeric and text values. Regrettably, it is not so. Unlike many other functions, IF does recognize dates in logical tests and interprets them as mere text strings. In other words, you cannot supply a date in the form of "1/1/2020" or ">1/1/2020". To make the IF function recognize a date, you need to wrap it in the DATEVALUE function.
For example, here's how you can check if a given date is greater than another date:
=IF(B2>DATEVALUE("7/18/2022"), "Coming soon", "Completed")
This formula evaluates the dates in column B and returns "Coming soon" if a game is scheduled for 18-Jul-2022 or later, "Completed" for a prior date.
Of course, there is nothing that would prevent you from entering the target date in a predefined cell (say E2) and referring to that cell. Just remember to lock the cell address with the $ sign to make it an absolute reference. For instance:
=IF(B2>$E$2, "Coming soon", "Completed")
To compare a date with the current date, use the TODAY() function. For example:
=IF(B2>TODAY(), "Coming soon", "Completed")
Excel IF statement for blanks and non-blanks
If you are looking to somehow mark your data based on a certain cell(s) being empty or not empty, you can either:
- Use the IF function together with ISBLANK, or
- Use the logical expressions ="" (equal to blank) or <>"" (not equal to blank).
The table below explains the difference between these two approaches with formula examples.
| Logical test | Description | Formula Example | |
| Blank cells | ="" |
Evaluates to TRUE if a cell is visually empty, even if it contains a zero-length string. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE. |
=IF(A1="", 0, 1)
Returns 0 if A1 is visually blank. Otherwise returns 1. If A1 contains an empty string (""), the formula returns 0. |
| ISBLANK() |
Evaluates to TRUE is a cell contains absolutely nothing - no formula, no spaces, no empty strings. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE. |
=IF( Returns 0 if A1 is absolutely empty, 1 otherwise. If A1 contains an empty string (""), the formula returns 1. |
|
| Non-blank cells | <>"" | Evaluates to TRUE if a cell contains some data. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.
Cells with zero-length strings are considered blank. |
=IF( Returns 1 if A1 is non-blank; 0 otherwise. If A1 contains an empty string, the formula returns 0. |
| ISBLANK() |
Evaluates to TRUE if a cell is not empty. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.
Cells with zero-length strings are considered non-blank. |
=IF( Works the same as the above formula, but returns 1 if A1 contains an empty string. |
And now, let's see blank and non-blank IF statements in action. Suppose you have a date in column B only if a game has already been played. To label the completed games, use one of these formulas:
=IF(B2="", "", "Completed")
=IF(ISBLANK(B2), "", "Completed")
=IF($B2<>"", "Completed", "")
=IF(ISBLANK($B2)=FALSE, "Completed", "")
In case the tested cells have no zero-length strings, all the formulas will return exactly the same results:
Check if two cells are the same
To create a formula that checks if two cells match, compare the cells by using the equals sign (=) in the logical test of IF. For example:
=IF(B2=C2, "Same score", "")
To check if the two cells contain same text including the letter case, make your IF formula case-sensitive with the help of the EXACT function.
For instance, to compare the passwords in A2 and B2, and returns "Match" if the two strings are exactly the same, "Do not match" otherwise, the formula is:
=IF(EXACT(A2, B2), "Match", "Don't match")
IF then formula to run another formula
In all of the previous examples, an Excel IF statement returned values. But it can also perform a certain calculation or execute another formula when a specific condition is met or not met. For this, embed another function or arithmetic expression in the value_if_true and/or value_if_false arguments.
For example, if B2 is greater than 80, we'll have it multiplied by 7%, otherwise by 3%:
=IF(B2>80, B2*7%, B2*3%)
Multiple IF statements in Excel
In essence, there are two ways to write multiple IF statements in Excel:
- Nesting several IF functions one into another
- Using the AND or OR function in the logical test
Nested IF statement
Nested IF functions let you place multiple IF statements in the same cell, i.e. test multiple conditions within one formula and return different values depending on the results of those tests.
Assume your goal is to assign different bonuses based on the score:
- Over 90 - 10%
- 90 to 81 - 7%
- 80 to 70 - 5%
- Less than 70 - 3%
To accomplish the task, you write 3 separate IF functions and nest them one into another like this:
=IF(B2>90, 10%, IF(B2>=81, 7%, IF(B2>=70, 5%, 3%)))
For more formula examples, please see:
Excel IF statement with multiple conditions
To evaluate several conditions with the AND or OR logic, embed the corresponding function in the logical test:
For example, to return "Pass" if both scores in B2 and C2 are higher than 80, the formula is:
=IF(AND(B2>80, C2>80), "Pass", "Fail")
To get "Pass" if either score is higher than 80, the formula is:
=IF(OR(B2>80, C2>80), "Pass", "Fail")
For full details, please visit:
If error in Excel
Starting from Excel 2007, we have a special function, named IFERROR, to check formulas for errors. In Excel 2013 and higher, there is also the IFNA function to handle #N/A errors.
And still, there may be some circumstances when using the IF function together with ISERROR or ISNA is a better solution. Basically, IF ISERROR is the formula to use when you want to return something if error and something else if no error. The IFERROR function is unable to do that as it always returns the result of the main formula if it isn't an error.
For example, to compare each score in column B against the top 3 scores in E2:E4, and return "Yes" if a match is found, "No" otherwise, you enter this formula in C2, and then copy it down through C7:
=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(B2, $E$2:$E$4, 0)), "No", "Yes" )
For more information, please see IF ISERROR formula in Excel.
Hopefully, our examples have helped you get a grasp of the Excel IF basics. I thank you for reading and hope to see you on our blog next week!
Practice workbook
Excel IF statement - formula examples (.xlsx file)
4804 comments
can you help me!
What's the formula if a specific number or text will only appear in the cell?
sample : only number 1, will appear on the cell. IF I PUT OTHER NUMBER IT WILL BECOME ERROR.
THANK YOU
Hello!
I think you can use Data validation.
Hi,
Please help me to find out a formulae for below mentioned condition.
if the value is (0-6) = need to calculate the value (number)*5%
if the value is (7-10) = need to calculate the value as (number)*10%
But the difficulty is if my value is 8 means first 6 want to calculate as 6*5% and remaining 2 will need to calculate as 2*10%.
So I want the result as ((6*5%) + (2*10%))
If any possible way to write a formulae for that. please guide me.
Hello!
I hope you have studied the recommendations in the above tutorial.
Please use the following formula
=IF(A1=8,6*0.05+2*0.1,IF(AND(A1>0,A1<=6),A1*0.05,IF(AND(A1>=7,A1<=10),A1*0.1,"")))
Hi Alexander,
This is not I am expecting,
0-6 = 5%
7-12 = 10%
13-18 = 15%
19+ = 20%
For example my count is 20 means first 6 calculate by 5%, 7-12 will be calculate 10%, 13-18 will be calculate 15% ten remaining 2 will calculate 20%.
Below the detailed condition and Please help me find out this.
Cnt Value Result Condition
1 50 $2.50 Value*5%
2 50 $2.50 Value*5%
3 50 $2.50 Value*5%
4 50 $2.50 Value*5%
5 50 $2.50 Value*5%
6 50 $2.50 Value*5%
7 50 $5.00 Value*10%
8 50 $5.00 Value*10%
9 50 $5.00 Value*10%
10 50 $5.00 Value*10%
11 50 $5.00 Value*10%
12 50 $5.00 Value*10%
13 50 $7.50 Value*15%
14 50 $7.50 Value*15%
15 50 $7.50 Value*15%
16 50 $7.50 Value*15%
17 50 $7.50 Value*15%
18 50 $7.50 Value*15%
19 50 $10.00 Value*20%
20 50 $10.00 Value*20%
Total $110.00
Hello!
The formula I gave you is in line with what you wrote earlier. The formula I sent to you was created based on the description you provided in your first request. However, as far as I can see from your second comment, your task is now different from the original one.
I recommend paying attention to a similar question.
What I’m trying to express is a valid #3 Statement so that when #2 or #1 statement goes before it, it doesn’t give me an error in the last column that follows them all. The W column.
So H&R column cells values must be calculated. At all times, which is H10*R10.
When U&V column cells have values I have to add the all values, which is (H10*R10)+(U10*V10). (If U10 holds no value then V10 will be calculated to 0) which is my issue. I don’t want the 0 in the cell.
Example 1 formula is column V5. When this formula is input, I see the 0. Example 3 formula is then placed into column W & the value is properly displayed.
Example 2 formula is an alternative to Example 1 which also goes into column V5. When this formula is input, the 0 is removed in V5 as desired. However this formula clears out all values for column W, & Y which requires it to properly display & it doesn’t.
Is there a way to nest the formula for Example 3 [H10*R10] always but ONLY when U10 & V10 have values will I use: (H10*R10)+U10*V10, so that I can use Example 2 as it is? I think it’s messing up because V10 can equal 0 & when I use a formula to not have it displayed it throws everything in all WYZ columns off. I hope this was clearer?
Hello,
I’m having an issue. I’m not sure if this should be a nested IF statements. The first 2 formulas represent the subtraction of dates. The dates can equal 0 to represent no days have passed/a solution was made the same day. I do not want the 0 to populate, I want the cell to remain blank.
1. =IF(ISBLANK(N10),"",(N10-F10)) This formula subtracts & shows 0 in a following cell. Example 3 formula is calculated properly & all values are showing thereafter in other columns.
2. =IF(N10-F10=0,"",N10-F10) This formula subtracts & removed the 0 (as desired). Example 3 formula is NOT calculated when the 0 is removed. It then throws off 3 calculations for all other columns & rows to follow.
3. = IFERROR(IF(ISBLANK(R10),””,(H10*R10)+(U10*V10)),""). This is the formula of the calculated column that is affected perfectly when Example 1 preceded it (non desired 0 in cell) but horribly when Example 2 preceded it (desired blank cell, no 0). I believe the multiplication is throwing it off & the removal of the 0 in Example 2 is causing it. V10 is used to calculate a formula in W10 ONLY when U10 & V10 have values. They will usually be blank.
Is there a way to put a formula in that will distinguish when to use the “+(U10*V10) like an either or? I only need the second half of that equation when U & V have values. I hope this makes sense...
Hello!
I don't quite understand your calculations. It would be easier to understand them if you wrote an example of the source data and the expected result. The condition "when U & V have values" can be written as
U10&V10=""
It can be used in an IF function.
Sorry I did another question instead of replying but I just figured it out! Thanks for your continued helpfulness, Alexander!
Hello,
I'd like my IF statement to say:
If AN23=KS, then type in 6/30/2021, otherwise type in 9/28/2020
AN23 is linked to another cell and either says KS or MO
So, the formula should place either 6/30/2021 or 9/28/2020 which are the expiration dates of a state license.
=IF(AN23="KS",DATEVALUE["6/30/2021"], DATEVALUE [9/28/2020])
This is what I typed and it doesn't work.
Thank-you.
Hello!
Please try the following formula:
=IF(AN23="KS",DATEVALUE("6/30/2021"), DATEVALUE("9/28/2020"))
I need to work out:
If a number of years worked is less than 5, then 0
If a number of years worked is more than 5, then add 1 for every year above 5
Hello!
I hope you have studied the recommendations in the above tutorial.
If I understand your task correctly, the following formula should work for you:
=IF(B1<5,0,(B1-5))
Hi, your explanation and example don't quiet marry up, so I will give you 2 solutions.
Info:
9AM is 09:00 ( 9/24)
5PM is 17:00 (17/24)
From 5PM to 9AM is +1 day -8 hours or +16 hours (16/24) (2/3)
#1 After 5PM show Tomorrow 9AM
IF( ( A1-INT(A1)) > (17/24), INT(A1) +1 +(9/24), A1)
#2 After 17:xx show Tomorrow 09:xx
IF( ( A1-INT(A1)) > (17/24), A1 +(2/3), A1)
# This can get really complex if you want ( 09:00-17:00 M-F, NO Change, Otherwise set time to next work day)
Please i want to know how to use IF function to determine or return only each month names (e.g January , February etc) from a single column of different dates
Hello!
Your IF formula will be very large. I recommend using the VLOOKUP function to select the name of the month
=VLOOKUP(MONTH(B1), {1,"January";2,"February";3,"March";4,"April";5, "May";6,"June";7,"July";8,"August";9,"September";10, "October";11,"November";12,"December"}, 2,0)
I hope this will help
Please assist with this formula, especially with the last criteria. If a student is absent during test week and needs to show up on the Remark Column.
=IF(W5>84,"An excellent performance. Keep it up!.",IF(W5>64,"A very good performance. Can still improve.",IF(W5>49,"A good performance. There is room for improvement.",IF(W5<50,"Needs a lot of improvement.", IF(W5="ab","Was absent during the test week.")))))
Hello!
Add a condition to your formula that W5 is a number.
=IF(AND(ISNUMBER(W5),W5>84),"An excellent performance. Keep it up!.", IF(AND(ISNUMBER(W5),W5>64),"A very good performance. Can still improve.", IF(AND(ISNUMBER(W5),W5>49),"A good performance. There is room for improvement.", IF(AND(ISNUMBER(W5),W5<50),"Needs a lot of improvement.", IF(W5="ab","Was absent during the test week.","")))))
I hope my advice will help you solve your task.
i have a age list of stuents in column C . age is in yearsmonths and days i.e. 14years,11monts.20 days etc .I wants to calulate under age and over age on a perticular date i.e 01 april 2020.
i have a age list of stuents in column C . age is in yearsmonths and days i.e. 14years,11monts.20 days etc .I wants to calulate under age and over age on a perticular date i.e 01 april 2020. whoes age 1s more then 16 years "overage" and less then 15 year"underage" how can i solve this?
Hello!
Write an example of the source data and the result you want to get.
HELLO!
I am trying to write a formula to fill a cell (say T9) with N/A if the cell J9 includes wording "Standard Type I" or "Standard Type II". The field selections in J9 include but are not limited to
MBCI Standard Type I 20yr
MBCI Standard Type II 20yr
MBCI Single Soucre III 20yr
and so on
Hello!
Your condition can be written into a formula
=IF(OR(ISNUMBER(FIND("Standard Type I",J9,1)),ISNUMBER(FIND("Standard Type II",J9,1))),"N/A","")
I hope this will help
Hi
I'm trying to do a check in a spreadsheet and the the IF function is giving me the incorrect result:
If(D200=AE200,"YES", "NO")
D200 (this is a formula value of running balance D199 + C200) and AE200 (this is sum of F200:AD200). The value is the same in each cell i.e. 6,603.16 - but gives me a NO result.
I've tried adding in VALUE before the cell reference but this still does not give me the correct result.
Hello!
Without seeing your data it hard to give you advice.
Your numbers may differ in some decimal place. I recommend using the rounding function. Or you can perform calculations with the precision with which the numbers appear in your spreadsheet. To do this, use File-Options-Advanced-When calculating ...- Set pricision as displayed.
Hi,
My problem is i have a column full of times in 24hr time and need to categorize these times into 4 different categories in a separate column (2,3,4,5). i cant figure out the IF function to do this.
for example the first category would be times between 0:00:00AM - 6:00:00Am would be category 2
Thanks,
Hello!
To convert time to number, use the formula
=A1*24
You can use these numbers in the IF function to create conditions.
I hope my advice will help you solve your task.
I want to know the formula to use for time that is greater than 3:00:01
Hello!
I’m sorry but your task is not entirely clear to me. Could you please describe it in more detail? Please specify what you were trying to find. Write an example of the source data and the result you want to get.
hie i wanted if its possible to use the IF function in excel to check whether in a particular column the cell have data that is in cell format or not. all the function i have tried so far give a specific date. i just want it to verify if the cell had data that in date format that's it.
Hello!
To check if a cell is written as a date or just a number or text, you can use
=LEFT(@CELL("format",A1),1)="D"
I hope this will help
Yes this was a great help, thanx
I have 2 spreadsheets which are orders and deliveries.
I want to have the order sheet updated with a Y in the received column when the delivery is received.
Can I do this through a IF formula?
Hello!
Without seeing your data it hard to give you advice. If your data is in 2 different tables, then you most likely need to use the VLOOKUP function.
Give an example of the source data and the expected result.
It’ll help me understand it better and find a solution for you.
How to use if function in between the numbers. Eg 8am to 8pm peak, and 8pm to 8am off-peak. What is the formula
Hello!
If I understand your task correctly, the following formula should work for you:
=IF(AND(C1*24>8,C1*24<20),"peak","off-peak")
Hope this is what you need.
Hi, I want to write a function to change yes/no responses to numbers; So I have yes/no answers to questions and want to do some basic stats (counts etc.) and need to convert the words into numbers (e.g. 0, 1 or 2). Can you please assist?
Hello!
I’m sorry but your task is not entirely clear to me. For me to be able to help you better, please describe your task in more detail. Do you want to replace text with numbers? This is only possible with a VBA macro. You can set a value in another cell using a formula. What text does the number 0 correspond to? Give an example of the source data and the expected result.
It’ll help me understand it better and find a solution for you. Thank you.
Hi,
I am trying to update a cell with 'Requested', 'Received' or 'Past due' based on 3 other cells with dates in (date requested, due date and date received). I can master 2 statuses but not 3! Please can you help. If there is a date in the 'date received' column this should supersede all other statuses.