How to use IF function in Excel: examples for text, numbers, dates, blanks

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:

IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

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: Basic IF formula in Excel.

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: IF formula to return nothing when the condition is not met.

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: The behavior of the value_if_true argument.

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", "") The behavior of the value_if_false argument.

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. A formula to check if a cell contains a negative number.

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. Using the IF function with text.

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") Case-sensitive IF statement for text values.

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") IF cell contains partial text.

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. Excel IF statement with dates.

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(ISBLANK(A1), 0, 1)

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(A1<>"", 1, 0)

Returns 1 if A1 is non-blank; 0 otherwise.

If A1 contains an empty string, the formula returns 0.
ISBLANK()=FALSE Evaluates to TRUE if a cell is not empty. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.

Cells with zero-length strings are considered non-blank.

 =IF(ISBLANK(A1)=FALSE, 0, 1)

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: IF statement for blank and non-blank cells.

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", "") Check if two cells contain the same values.

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") Case-sensitive IF formula to check if two cells 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%) IF formula that runs another formula.

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%))) Nested IF statement.

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") Excel IF statement with multiple conditions.

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" ) If error formula in Excel.

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)

Table of contents

4804 comments

  1. hi Svetlana Cheusheva,
    can you please guide me to make a farmula for this calculation
    IF A16 and 9 and <12 than * 450
    hope you understand what i want in result like i need to multipuly the B1 with 150 if A1 is less than 6 and if it is more than 6 and less than 9 than with 300 and if A1 is more than 9 and less than 12 than multiply B1 with 450 and if A1 is more than 12 than multiply B1 with 600
    please rply ASAP

    • Hi Sharfi,

      Here you go:

      =IF(A1<6,B1*150,IF(A1<9,B1*300, IF(A1<12, B1*450, B1*600)))

  2. Hi,
    Cani use If function for different criteria,actually i want to do ageing of invoices i want to know since how many days the invoice is pending outstanding.There are different no of days for each invoice i want to know the days bracket. i want the formulae as per below for eg.If cell A1306090,"90-days"

  3. Hi,
    I wanted to know how to do the below scenario in Excel using if function eg
    I have mentioned no. of days worked in a month cell(K1) and no. of working days in month another cell (J1),if K1<j1 then there is value mentioned in I1 which is got using this formula =ROUND(L3*12/100,0) or else 1560

  4. Hi there.
    I would like to highlight a row based on a certain cell being a value greater than 0. ie. if cell H8>0 "Highlight row 8 (or a range of cells)

  5. Hello Svetlana,

    I am not sure if I am doing this correctly. I would like to check in a row in the columns A through D for the keyword "PLAN". If it is present the result would be "Yes" and if not present for the cell to remain blank. I tried this function but it does not work: =IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("PLAN",A2:d2)),"Yes","")

    Thank you,
    Matt

    • Hi Matt,

      Try this one:

      =IF(COUNTIF(A2:D2, "plant")>0, "yes", "")

      • Hi Svetlana,

        Worked perfectly.

        Thank you,
        Matt

  6. I found another way to find my average % completed:
    =IF(O5>0,(SUMIF(F9:F15,"Active",I9:I15)/O5),"100%") where O5 equals total active students. This one stumped me when there were no active students. That is O5 is zero. Anyway, it works!

  7. I want to use IF to discriminate between individual turtles! I have drop downmenus describing each shell segment, e.g. box A segment one has a mark/ is white, box B the mark is single/double, Box C it is shaped like a circle, square, line, cone, other..then this combination of shell segment descriptions means the turtle is number 32. (All turtles have individual markings)
    How can I use if to return a specific individual identifier, rather than a yes/no, true/false answer?
    thanks for your comments in advance

  8. Hi Svetlana
    =IF(A1="Active",AVERAGE(B1),0)
    The above formula works for one cell, of course, but I need to construct it to work for a range of cells.
    If "Active" appears in column A,(A1:A9), then I need to calculate the average of all numbers in corresponding cells in column B, (B1:B9). Do I need to nest a VLOOKUP into this IF statement? Either way, can you please help?
    Many thanks :)

  9. Hello, I would like to increase each numerical value by $100 in every cell in a very large table that has a number, but if there is text in the cell, then I would like to simply copy the text from the call. Can this be done with the IF function?

    • Hi Marlene,

      You can use a formula similar to this:
      =IF(ISNUMBER(A1)=TRUE, A1+100, A1)

  10. HI! I HAVE TEXT INPUT FOR A2 TILL A100, EACH TEXT INPUT IS EQUIVALENT TO A NUMBER, EX, IN A3 (LC) AND IN B3 I PUT THE EQUIVENT IS 0.75 , IF I PUT A FREE TEXT IN C1 (LC) I NEED TO DISPLAY THE EQUIVALENT IN D1.
    A B C D
    1/ BS- 1 LC 0.75
    2/ NC- 1.75
    3/ LC- 0.75
    4/ WL- 0.50

    EX ABOVE : I INPUT LC IN C1 , I NEED TO DISPLAY THE EQUIVALENT WHICH IS 0.75 IN D1 ( WHICH IS FROM B4) I WANT IT TO DISPLAY AUTOMATIC ONCE I PUT ANYTHING FROM COLUMN B IN C

    NEED YOUR HELP THANK YOU

    • Hi MARRIAM,

      Try using the following VLOOKUP formula, where $A$1:$B$100 is your range of data:

      =IFERROR(VLOOKUP($C1, $A$1:$B$100, 2, FALSE), "")

  11. I WANT CALCULATE LIKE THIS:
    IF A1 Grater than date 31-05-2015
    than A2*12.36% otherwise A2*14%
    thats it but formula not giving me correct value
    so Plz help me on this
    IN ONE CELL
    =ROUND(IF(A1>"31-05-2015",A2*14%,A2*12.36%),0)

    AND I ALSO TRIED IN THE PLACE "31-05-2015" TO DATEVALUE("31-05-2015")
    BUT NOT WORKING.
    IT SHOWS #VALUE

    • YES MY FRIEND I FOUND MY SOLUTION AND IT WORKS
      LIKE THIS
      =ROUND(IF(T8>=DATEVALUE("01-06-2015"),E8*14%,E8*12.36%),0)

      THANKS

      AND DOING GOOD JOB (GENIUS WORK)

  12. Good afternoon, I am trying to create a simple spreadsheet calculating a price per square foot value based on an optional selection of option A (wood material)or option B (carpet, which would be translated to square yards). both options A & B will also need to be increased by 20%. If I have all the correct numbers in the spread sheet, why cant I apply an if then statement to the column / cell I want to create the equation for? I am trying the following.
    =IF(H7=Option A,"((F7*D27)*1.20))",(H7=Option B,"(((F7*.111111)*D28)*1.20))"
    F7 represents the square feet
    D27 represents the Price
    H7 would be the field I would like to type option A or option B into
    thank you for your help.

    • Hi Doug,

      I believe the correct syntax is as follows:

      =IF(H7="Option A", F7*D27*1.2, IF(H7="Option B", F7*0.111111*D28*1.2, ""))

  13. Hi,

    i want a formula that will not show data on another workbook if the column is blank eg

    yes no
    \
    \
    \
    \
    \
    \

    i only want it to show the yes column on another tab but dont want any space between the date. Is this even possible using this function? I know its possible from using filter but dont want to do this

  14. How to put a single formula for the following;
    If F31 is '0' then the value should be of H12...
    and if F31 is more than '0' then the value should be the value of F32.

    • Hi Anwaar,

      You can use a nested IF formula like this:
      =IF(F31=0, H12, IF(F31>0, F32, ""))

      • Thanks a lot!☺

        • Good morning!
          Now could u also help me out for the following:
          I have different ranges of a quantity and one single cost for that particular range.
          For Ex. 5000 to 10000 = Rs. 120000
          11000 to 20000 = Rs. 115000
          21000 to 30000 = Rs. 100000
          31000 to 40000 = Rs. 98000
          and same pattern continues for further more values...

          request for early reply...
          thanks in advance

          Anwaar

  15. Hi Svetlana,

    I'm having difficulty with making a formula.

    What I want, is that if A1 is not Blank, that C1 Prints "N/A", but if C1 is not Blank, then B1 and A1 Print "N/A".

    I currently have: =IF(NOT(C1=""),AND(A1="N/A",B1="N/A"),IF(NOT(A1=""),C1="N/A","Error"))

    (If not possible please let me know as I've been having trouble with these recently, thanks)

  16. Hi,

    I need to compare the data between two xls sheets(cell to cell validation).

  17. Hi,

    I am trying to create an IF formula on a date cell that states if the date is before or equal to 01/02/2015 then give me 'A' otherwise give my 'B' (ie. if the date is passed).

    I have used =IF(D7<=01/02/2015,"A","B") but it does not work and gives me 'A' for dates before and after 01/02/2015.

    Hope you can help.

    Many Thanks

    • Hi Ross,

      Just use the DATEVALUE function in the logical test:

      =IF(D7<=DATEVALUE("1/2/2015"),"A","B")

  18. Hi,

    I need a solution for below,

    Given data
    Name Subject marks
    Raj FFV01 70
    Vino FSO03 80

    In a desired cells, I need a formula that allows me to pick the Raj's "Subject" only and mark in the next cell. whereas if it's vino, Cell should be blank.

    Please revert if quest not clear.

    Thanks for your help in advance.

    • Hi Raj,

      You can use a VLOOKUP formula similar to the below one:

      Subject: =VLOOKUP("raj", A1:C100, 2, FALSE)
      Mark: =VLOOKUP("raj", A1:C100, 3, FALSE)

      Where Name is column A, Subject is column B and marks are in column C.

  19. I am trying to change a formula from =IF(H2="2-bdrm/2-bth",$K$3,IF(H2="2-bdrm/1-bth",$K$4,IF(H2="1-bdrm/1-bth",$K$5,))) which determined the average rental price to a formula that determines the what the highest rental price is for each size apartment. Anyone that can help I would greatly appreciate?

  20. sorry it's not working

    • Hi NIRAV,

      I am not quite sure what +c1 means. Anyway, if B1 is a date rather than a text value, the DATEVALUE function is not needed:

      =IF(NOW()-B1<30,C1,0)

      If B1 is a text value, then the following formula works fine:

      =IF(NOW()-DATEVALUE(B1)<30,C1,0)

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