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. I need H5 to be multiplied by 6% if > A1 and multiplied by 7% if > than A2 and multiplied by 8% if > A3.

    • Hi Kristal,

      Here you go:
      =IF($H5>$A$1, $H5*6%, IF($H5>$A$2, $H5*7%, IF($H5>$A$3, $H5*8%, "")))

  2. thanks! - sent you the info via email

    • The problem was with percentages entered as text strings. Emailed you back the fixed sheet.

      • Thanks so much for the help! appreciated!

        Now i have a question around "if i can't get the text to percentage on the sheet to work unless i double click the box and click on the accept icon" (tick box image).

        Is there a way to change format quicker on the sheet.

        I've tried selecting the column, going to number format and changing to percentage - but then i still have to click in each box to accept it, before the formula works. Trying to see if i can save myself time and do it with a shortcut.

        Thanks

        • In the worksheet you sent to us, I fixed the percentages in the following way:

          - Select column H (the Percentage column), press Ctrl+H and replace % with nothing (leave the "Replace with" box empty and click the Replace all button).

          - In some empty column in row 2, enter the formula =H2/100, copy the formula down to other cells, copy the column with the formula, then select column H, right click and select Paste Special > Values. The result would be decimal numbers like 0.75.

          - Apply the Percentage format to column H.

          Done!

          • It was and great thank you - it fixed it perfectly!!

  3. Hi Svetlana

    Thanks but unfortunately that doesn't work either, tried it and even if i have a 10% on the probability - it still brings up the number.

    • Hmm... this is very strange. The formula works just fine for me. If you can send us a sample workbook, and we will try to figure this thing out.

  4. Hi

    I'm trying to get a formula to work this is the detail:

    Column G = sales
    Column H = probability
    Column J = status

    I'd like to get a formula to work if its status is open and is above 75% then it returns the sales number - i have this but it won't work
    =IF(AND(J300="Open",H300 >75),G300,"")

    • Hi Ash,

      Your formula is correct except that you omitted the percentage :)

      =IF(AND(J300="Open",H300>75%),G300,"")

      If you'd rather not use the percentage char in formulas, then it should read H3>0.75.

  5. So I entered the formula to have a cell name itself the workbook name which is a date. The other cell that I have turns into the day of the date. But since I have done = it only reflects the date not the day.

  6. If we have two different worksheets.For example Workbook1 contains weights 0.5,1,2,3 and other worksheek contains the master that means that fine contains 0.5 value 10.00,1 value 20.00,2 value 30.00 and 3 value 40.00.

    And i want to use formula to upload the same figure in Work sheet 1 also as a value that means if the weight is 0.5 that value should be 10 like that how to make formula

  7. HI there,

    can you help me with this project?

    IF (A2 >26, A242, A263, A284,A2<104),4 "")

    I appreciate your kind help

    • (A2 >26, A2>41, A2>42, A2>62,A284,A2<104),4 "")

      • Hi Fahad,

        Sorry, I cannot understand the conditions. Can you elaborate please?

  8. Helooo,

    how can utilize this formula in my office reminders.

    I have certain daily task that is fixed in every month. let me know how can I create reminders, that today I have particular task to perform?

  9. A1= Level 33
    B1>50%=YES and B150%=YES and C1<50%=NO

    • I am not sure I fully understand the logic. Nevertheless, here's the formula as per your conditions:

      =IF(B1>50%, "YES", IF(C1<50%, "NO", ""))

  10. hi there,
    Searching for help,
    I wanted my data to produce end result YES or NO:
    must meet condition as below:

    A1= Level 33
    B1>50% = YES and B150% = YES and C1<50%= NO

    please help , thanks!

  11. I need help with finding the sum of the following:
    If there is text in C10 and C11, I need there to be a value of 1 for each to calculate in F4, otherwise = 0.

    • Hi Elaine,

      I can suggest the following formula:

      =IF(AND(C10<>"",C11<>""),2,IF(OR(C10<>"",C11<>""),1,0))

      The formula returns 2 if both C10 and C11 have values in them, returns 1 if one of the cells has a value, and if both cells are blank, 0 is returned.

      If you are looking for something different, please clarify.

  12. Column E has a product Names (X and Y) with the corresponding Value ($ amt) in Column G, If the product name is X I want a formula to return the value as (X*70/100) or Else Blank. The result is expected in column H. Please Assist.

  13. i would like excel classes

  14. Need help,

    I've a data in d2:d in which sometime there might be empty also(blank).So with reference to these I want information of a2:a but if d2:d have data I didn't want information of a2:a, I only want a2 information if d2 is blank other wise next skip a3 if its same then a4 and so on?

    • Please help me in this regard.

      • Hi Insu,

        I am not sure I can follow you. So, let me check if we are on the same page. You want the formula to return a value from A2 if D2 is blank, right? If so, then you can use the following formula:
        =IF(D2="", A2, "")

        If you want to pull a value from D2 if it's not empty, then use:
        =IF(D2="", A2, D2)

        • Thank you

  15. I'm working on a spreadsheet that will have a $ amount in column C, one of a possible 4 employees names in column D, a cumulative running total in E, and then,at the bottom of the whole thing, a running total for each individual employees sales. I know basic formulas, addition, multiplication, etc., but I do not know how to do an IF formula such as this. Can anyone help? Thanks!!

  16. I want to calculate if A1>=1.5, but <=2 then yes

  17. Hi, Svetlana

    Below condition is not working

    =IF(OR(A1=c1,B1*F1),IF(A1=C2,B2*F2),IF(A1=C3,B3*F3))

    Can you please correct me.

    Column A Column B Column C Column F
    B81234 16 B91456 $8,995.00
    B81345 19 B81234 $4,887.50
    B91456 27 B81345 $5,391.00

    Regards
    Manish

    • Hi Manish,

      Try to put it this way:

      =IF(A1=C1, B1*F1, IF(A1=C2, B2*F2, IF(A1=C3, B3*F3, "")))

  18. Perfect it worked.

    =COUNTIF(M95:M106,"Darryl*")

  19. Hi Svetlana, I am using the formula below look for a specific that could be listed in the cell range listed below, such as the name Darryl that name could be clustered in with multiple names in one cell, But I need to count the name as one. I hope that makes sense

    =COUNTIF(M95:M106,"Darryl", "Darryl Sally George")

    • Darryl,

      The COUNTIF syntax allows for only one criteria. To count partial matches, you can use a wildcard char, like this:
      =COUNTIF(M95:M106,"Darryl*")

      Or =COUNTIF(M95:M106,"*Darryl*") if the name "Darryl" may be preceded and/or followed by other characters, e.g. "Mr. Darryl George".

    • Darryl, how did you get a response for svetlana so qwick? I have tried since last week.

      Maybe you can help.
      Hi, Svetlana.
      I have in mind a (maybe an IF) formula I want implement.
      In a cell I have a date of 6-17-15, in one cell (oh,say E7) when we started tracking an item as "Open". Cell F7 (7/7/15) would be the date we closed it. Cell G7 would tally the days it was open. If we closed it on 7/7/2015, the duration open would be 20 days and the formula would be simply be =F7-E7. Correct?
      But, let's say we had not (closed it) filled in the Cell F7 yet and it is blank to visually show it as outstanding. How would I express the formula in Cell G7 to keep a tally of the open days. Then when we fill in the (or closed it) cell G7, it will correctly fill in the open days?

      • Hi!

        I am sorry for overlooking your question. The notification never reached my inbox :(

        If my understanding of the task is correct, you need a formula that subtracts E7 from F7 if both cells have dates in them, and if there is no date in F7, then E7 is subtracted from today's date. If so, the formula is as follows:

        =IF(F7="", TODAY()-E7, F7-E7)

        Please correct me if I am missing something.

        • It works great. Thank you.

  20. Hi Svetlana, you are the best that did work..

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