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
Dear,
I have
0-19 =Cat-3,
20-49=Cat-2,
above50 =cat 1,
how to use if formula
pls help
vaule cat
19
24
25
35
12
45
Hi i need some help with a formula if possible. I'm trying to do the following.
In Cell C1 i have an amount "£"
In cell E1 i want the word "paid"
In Cell F1 i have the following "=SUMIF(E1,"paid",C1)"
In Cell G1 i have this formula "=IF(E1="paid",NOW(),"Outstanding")"
Now the problem i'm having is that if i copy this down my spreadsheet everytime i change a cell to "paid" every cell that already has a date in it changes to the date i make the new entry.
Is there a way to keep the dates.
For example.
I input "paid" into a cell yesterday and the "date" shows as 4/11/15
i put a "Paid" into a cell today and the "date" shows as 5/11/15 but keeps the previous day as is.
Hi,
I need some assistance with this...
For Example
=IF(G6>0,"FR")AND(H6+I6+J6=0,"NR")
Hi Iris,
I believe the correct syntax is as follows:
=IF(G6>0,"FR", IF(H6+I6+J6=0,"NR", ""))
It is to good.
I am trying to get an IF or SUMIF formula to work but having slight problems arise. What I am after?! If cell A is 6, I need cell B to = Cell D x Cell E. Very simple I am sure however I cannot seem to figure it out. Any assistance would be appreciated. A real life example of what I am trying to achieve… If Sam buys 6 or less oranges it will cost her $1 per orange making it $6 however if Sam purchase 7 or more she will get oranges for 95cents each making the total $6.65 if she purchased 7.
I found that if the text strings in the cells that I want to test are "TRUE" and "FALSE" then my if formula is not working as desired.
Using your example in the above article how would you handle if your column C heading is 'Delivered (TRUE/FALSE)' and column D is 'Action Required (Yes/No)' ??
I am able to control it if the string is anything other than 'true' and 'false' Are these exceptions or am I missing anything?
Can you please assist me with a logical formula?
Need to create a formula that will replace the word "YES" if Cell F2 is less than 25% of cell H2 or replace the word "NO" if this condition is NOT met.
Hai i try to create a formula as follow
I need the answer in C1.
if B1A1------Late
all other condition (if the cell is blank or the cell contains text) leave as Blank
I try this one.... =IF(B1A1,"LATE",""))
Can any one help me
I am trying to create a formula that will replace the min value between d20:d27 if it is less than e2 with e2. my failed attempt is below:
=IF(MIN(d20:d27)<E2,REPLACE(C20:C27,C20:C27,3,E2))
I've built an evaluation form. It looks like this:
Agent greeted the customer: Yes No N/A Score
Agent sounded professional:
Agent ended the call properly:
Now; I want to have check/option button under each attribute. So, If I check Yes; it should place 4.5 under the score. If I check No; it should place 0 under the score column and so on...
Thanks,
im trying to use the if function to connect two tabs together.
this is my command
"=IF(B5=Daily!A:A,Daily!B:B,0)"
even though everything is correct its still saying it false.
can anyone help?
it return error
can anybody help me with this function ?
=IF(C28=B2,($C$3-C28)/30*1.25,IF(($C$3-C28)/30>36,15)),if((($C$3-c29)/30>60,17)))
Can you help me? I want to do this, I have a maximum mark of 320 teachers evaluation and If the mark obtained is higher than it has to write 320, if not it should write the mark itself. My problem is that E6 is already the answer of a condition statement and it returns 320 but this number is not recognised as a number by the following condition. I try to format it but it doesn't allow it.
IF(Ensino!H$50>E6;320;Ensino!H$50)
I figured it out if anyone wants to know
=IF(OR(D3="",TODAY()>=C3,AND(D3"",D3>=C3)),"Yes","No")
I figured it out if anyone wants to know:
=IF(OR(D3="",TODAY()>=C3,AND(D3"",D3>=C3)),"Yes","No")
HI ID NEED A FORMULA THAT IF COL a1 HAS THE LETTER H IN COL a2 WILL ADD 1
Hello,
Sorry it's not my day today... I do a loop with my brain :D
So if somebody can help me to solve the following issue, it would be great.
I would like to plan maintenance for equipments so I gather all the SMU & Last Maintenance date for each of my equipments.
I compare if I the last SMU value is > of x time the schedule in column E (every 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 hours and so on)
If the value of the Last SMU is superior of the Schedule I should find the next schedule SMU
Below my table:
Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F
Last Job date Last SMU UNIT Schedule Next scheduled JOB SMU
9/28/2015 64881 HRS 100 65000
9/28/2015 64881 HRS 250 65000
9/28/2015 64881 HRS 4000 68000
9/28/2015 64881 HRS 6000 66000
And the formula... It's working... but I need to simplify it in order to check up to 100 times the schedule in column E.
Thank you in advance.
=IF(C9>E9,IF(C9>2*E9,IF(C9>3*E9,IF(C9>4*E9,IF(C9>5*E9,IF(C9>6*E9,IF(C9>7*E9,IF(C9>8*E9,IF(C9>9*E9,IF(C9>10*E9,IF(C9>11*E9,IF(C9>12*E9,IF(C9>13*E9,IF(C9>14*E9,IF(C9>15*E9,IF(C9>16*E9,IF(C9>17*E9,IF(C9>18*E9,IF(C9>19*E9,IF(C9>20*E9,IF(C9>21*E9,IF(C9>22*E9,IF(C9>23*E9,IF(C9>24*E9,IF(C9>25*E9,IF(C9>26*E9,IF(C9>27*E9,IF(C9>28*E9,IF(C9>29*E9,IF(C9>30*E9,IF(C9>31*E9,IF(C9>32*E9,IF(C9>33*E9,IF(C9>34*E9,IF(C9>35*E9,IF(C9>36*E9,IF(C9>37*E9,IF(C9>38*E9,IF(C9>39*E9,IF(C9>40*E9,IF(C9>41*E9,IF(C9>42*E9,IF(C9>43*E9,IF(C9>44*E9,IF(C9>45*E9,IF(C9>46*E9,IF(C9>47*E9,IF(C9>48*E9,IF(C9>49*E9,IF(C9>50*E9,IF(C9>51*E9,IF(C9>52*E9,IF(C9>53*E9,IF(C9>54*E9,IF(C9>55*E9,IF(C9>56*E9,IF(C9>57*E9,IF(C9>58*E9,IF(C9>59*E9,IF(C9>60*E9,IF(C9>61*E9,62*E9),61*E9),60*E9),59*E9),58*E9),57*E9),56*E9),55*E9),54*E9),53*E9),52*E9),51*E9),50*E9),49*E9),48*E9),47*E9),46*E9),45*E9),44*E9),43*E9),42*E9),41*E9),40*E9),39*E9),38*E9),37*E9),36*E9),35*E9),34*E9),33*E9),32*E9),31*E9),30*E9),29*E9),28*E9),27*E9),26*E9),25*E9),24*E9),23*E9),22*E9),21*E9),20*E9),19*E9),18*E9),17*E9),16*E9),15*E9),14*E9),13*E9),12*E9),11*E9),10*E9),9*E9),8*E9),7*E9),6*E9),5*E9),4*E9),3*E9),2*E9),1*E9)
Hello Everyone,
If I could please have your help.
=IF(AND(D4="",TODAY()>=C4,OR(AND(D4"",D4>=C4))),"Yes","No")
I need an if function that con do the following:
If return date D4="", and today's date is greater or equal to C4 then Yes, otherwise No. If D4 is not equal to empty, then D4>=C4, Yes otherwise no.
I can't seem to figure it out =(
I am not sure to have fully understood your query but try this way..
=IF(D4>0,IF(TODAY()>=C4,"YES","NO")
Hello,
I am trying to do something along the lines of if Aetna, BCBS and so on are typed in the J5 field then Multiply K5, L5 or M5, etc. by the % that is entered in AJ5. Is there a formula for this?