Comments on: Google Sheets IF function - usage and formula examples

Get to know Google Sheets IF function better with this tutorial: when it's used, how it works and how it contributes to a much simpler data processing. Formula examples are included! Continue reading →

Comments page 6. Total comments: 607

  1. Hi,
    I was wondering if I could receive some help with a formula. I'm trying to figure out how to create a scenario where I can view the commission rate (it differs by company) by company?
    It would be such that column B (where the companies are) would dictate the percentage of commission that's taken, and the percentage is taken from the sum of columns K-M. I want to create a commissions column in column N, and would like for the formula to run the length of the column.
    The % taken is such that Company B has 33% taken, Company IT, S-Corp, and AA has 28% taken, and every other company has 25% taken. I've linked the sheet below for easier viewing:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SZ3U1SXiorYnsTt9566ymPWQDX734CY_/view?usp=sharing
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Amanda,

      Thank you for the description and the file.

      To calculate the commission rate by company, use this formula in B7 and copy it down the column:
      =IF(B7="","",IF(B7="B",33%,IF(OR(B7="IT",B7="S-Corp",B7="AA"),28%,25%)))

      To deduct the percentage from the total of columns K-M at the same time, here's another formula:
      =IF(B7="","",IF(B7="B",SUM(K7:M7)-33%,IF(OR(B7="IT",B7="S-Corp",B7="AA"),SUM(K7:M7)-28%,SUM(K7:M7)-25%)))

  2. Hello,
    Can you please help?
    I would like a formula to do the following. I have three columns. Column 1 are a list of dates, Column 2 is also a list of dates, Column 3 is a list of number. I want a sum of column 3 for only the following cells. Cell 1 has a value and Cell 2 does not have a Value.

  3. I've used an IF statement to populate a column with a '1' for a true value and a '0' for a false value. In another cell, I want to sum all of the '1' values but the sum formula isn't picking them up. Is it possible to sum up all of the 1 values returned from all of my IF statements?

    1. Hello Harry,

      Can you please share the exact formula you're using to sum those numbers returned by IF?

      1. Hi Natalia,
        I managed to resolve myself thanks. The problem was I has quotation marks around the true and false values which was stopping them displaying as values that could be summed.
        My original statement was =IF("B3=Test","1","0")
        And changing it to =IF("B3=Test",1,0) has fixed it.

        1. Hi Harry,
          Thank you for the update. Good to know you managed to fix the formula!
          Double quotes are used for text strings. When used with numbers, they turn numerics into the text and prevent them from being calculated.

  4. Hi
    I am trying to pick shipments from a list whch has columns with several information. I try to fix a correct formula which gives me the result 1 or 0, or True or False or a colour or whatsoever.
    Lets say I want the in Cloumn T see the result if either one of the conditions are fullfilled. Aka if one of the conditions is fullfilled should the result be 1/True/Green cell, etc.
    First condition: IF C3<=3,99 and D3<=999
    2nd condition: IF G3="Yes" and E3<=3
    3rd condition: IF C3=6 and D36 and D3>1000 and D3<2500
    I do not know what I am doing wrong, but I don't get it together, and with only 2 conditions (which are probably wrong) I get 1 as a result for a row with "yes" in cloumn G, whereas if the data in the column is "no", but it fullfills i.e. the first condition, the result is instead of 1, true? Appreciate your help so much. Thank you!

    1. Hi
      I forgot the conditions in the 2nd condition
      which is if G3 s "yes" and E3<=3 is kind of missing the part, that if E3=1 should D3<=800, but in case E3=2 should D3<=1600 or in case E3<=3 so should D3<=2400
      how is it possible to combine all the conditions in a formula?
      Sorry for the unconvinience.
      Looking forward to your reply
      Kindest regards

      1. Hi Fatos,

        I'm sorry but it's hard to get a clear understanding of what you're trying to achieve.
        For me to be able to advise you anything, please consider sharing a small example spreadsheet with us (support@apps4gs.com) with 2 sheets: a copy of your source data and the result you expect to get. Please include the formula that doesn't work as well and shorten the tables to 10-20 rows.
        Note. We keep that account for file sharing only and don't monitor its Inbox. Please do not email there. Once you share the file, just confirm by replying here.

        In the meantime, please look through the last part of the blog post more closely. It describes how to enter multiple conditions to your formula.

        1. Hello

          I've shared the file now

          thanks again!

          1. Hello Fatos,

            I'm sorry, I can see no files shared by you. Please follow these steps to share the file correctly:

            1. Create an example spreadsheet in Google Sheets. Make sure there are two sheets: 1 - example data with the formula that doesn't work; 2 - the result you expect to get. Please shorten the tables to 10-20 rows.
            2. Press the Share button at the upper right corner of the Google spreadsheet.
            3. Enter support@apps4gs.com there and click Done.

            The file will then appear in the Shared section of our Drive. For more details on sharing the files, please turn to this help page. Thank you.

            1. Hi there
              1 - I've shared as requested a simple version of the file. hope it worked this time

              2- does anybody know how I can create an automated list of tabs/sheets in the same worksheet. Its a schoolproject; a (daily) spreadsheet with over 70 tabs/sheets and we need to have a summary-tab (we need to "analyze" data for a period of 120 days, and have no knowledge or info on coding etc)

              All kind of help is greatly appreciated
              Thank you!

              1. Thank you for all your help !
                Have a great day...
                Fatos

              2. Hi,

                Thank you again.
                Re my second question; I need to get a list of the tabs in another (summary tab) tab of the same spreadsheet. Like an index, which I want to use to create a table and "extract and summarize" information, so the names of these tabs are going to be the rows in this table. I was not able to find the funtion to use for this

                Kindest regards

              3. Hi Fatos,

                I looked into your file. I created an additional column Q, named it Ablebits, pasted the formula there, and copied it down the column. Here it is:
                =IFERROR(IFS(AND(M2<=2,4;K2<1000);1;AND(AND(M2>2,99;M2<=6);K2<=50);2;AND(M2="pall";AND(N2>0;N2<=3);K2/N2<=800);3);0)

                The formula returns 0 instead of the error when there's no match to any of your conditions. Also, the column cells turned green due to the existing conditional formatting, but I'm not going mess with that. Please adjust your conditional formatting accordingly.:) Hope the formula solves the first task for you.

                As for the second one, I appreciate the additional info. But I'm afraid there's no easy way to avoid entering each sheet name manually. I'd advise you to search for a solution here - an overview of Google Apps Script with a lot of helpful content and links: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/overview
                I wish I could help you better.

            2. Hi,
              so sorry, I'll try to send it again. Sorry for the unconvenience... In the meantime did I manage to find I formula which appears to work. But I am not sure if that is the best way to do it. I'll try to send it now

              Thanks a lot & sorry again

        2. Hi Natalia

          Thank you sooo much, I will send you an exempel
          Kind regards

  5. I have a sheet where data copies from a master tab to a slave where I want some information removed or hidden as it will be shared outside our business. What I would like to achieve is IF it reads (in this case) 4S then the information shows on that second tab, and IF it reads anything else, for example CL, RN or EC then it does not automatically show on the second tab. This is all very new to me so would appreciate if you could advise how I go about this...

    1. Hello Bronwyn,

      If I get your task correctly, you should pull data using the QUERY function since you can add conditions for pulling there. I explained how it works in this blog post.

  6. I am trying to utilize Google Sheets to take a list of email addresses and see if it has ever been seen before.

    Emails are listed in Colum C and my string is:

    =IF(C2="C2;C1000","YES","NO") however it is returning NO no matter if it has been seen before.

  7. Hi, I need help correcting this formula which refers to a VLOOKUP before an IF command with an "and" condition:

    =IF(VLOOKUP(B69,$B$25:$C$43,2,FALSE)10000,C2560000,1800)))

    1. Hi Therese,

      I believe, you just miss the comparison before 10000. If you're looking if the match equals to 10000, it should be:
      VLOOKUP(B69,$B$25:$C$43,2,FALSE) = 10000
      Replace the equal sign with whatever comparison character suits your case.
      Also, there are two excess closing brackets at the very end of the formula.

  8. Most helpful and clear explanation on the internet. I seem to have encountered a problem. The cell I'm referencing has drop-down selector. The value of that cell from my view is whatever value has been selected. But the true statement never returns as true but only as false. =IF(E7="Business Analyst", "BA", "Nope") that only ever returns "Nope" despite that Business Analyst is selected and visible in the cell. Will this just not work or is there some other magic?

    1. Hello Christopher,

      Thank you for your lovely feedback!
      Please make sure the values in your Data validation are written exactly the same as you put them into your IF formula. I mean you should keep the same text case, spacing, etc. If you're still unable to make it work, please consider sharing a small sample spreadsheet with us (support@apps4gs.com) where the problem occurs. I kindly ask you to shorten the tables to 10-20 rows.

      Note. We keep that Google account for file sharing only, please do not email there. Once you share the file, just confirm by replying here.

      I'll look into it and do my best to help.

  9. Hello, I'm trying to condition a formula to pull info from two columns and then recognize which country it belongs to and from there show one number. So far I'm only able to pull from the first option "US" and if it pulls "CN" shows up as blank.
    =ARRAYFORMULA(IF(B5:B50="","",(IF (C5:C50="US",(Items!B2:B50),(IF(C5:C50="CN",(Items!C2:C50),(IF(C5:C50="UK",(Items!D2:D50)))))))))

    1. Hello Andie,

      I'm sorry but I'm a bit confused by the formula without seeing the data structure. Would you mind creating a small example of your data and share it with us (support@apps4gs.com)? I kindly ask you to shorten the tables to 10-20 rows. Please include your formula there as well. I'll look into it and see what may be wrong.

      Note. That account is for file-sharing only, please do not email there. Once you share the file, just confirm by replying here.

  10. Hello Natalia, thank you for your help
    I try to create a google sheet which picks up by name (drop down menu) a multiplication.
    example - if cell A2 = x then Cell B2*'Another Sheet'!A2' if cell A2 = y then B2*'Another Sheet'!A3' etc
    I have created a short formula with 3 items but I have 100+ items, might be an easier way or simpler? Would be a lengthy formula with a few brackets at the end :) :)
    My formula
    =IF(A2="x",B2*'Base Sheet'!B2,IF(A2="y",B2*'Base Sheet'!B3,IF(A2="z",B2*'Base Sheet'!B4)))
    Thanks in advance

    1. Hello,

      Try using IFS instead:
      =IFS(A2="x",B2*'Base Sheet'!B2,A2="y",B2*'Base Sheet'!B3,A2="z",B2*'Base Sheet'!B4,...,...)

      You will still have to list every condition and its outcome, but no nested IF is required.
      Alternatively, you could try building scripts, but we don't help with that. You may try to find a solution here - an overview of Google Apps Script with a lot of helpful content and links:
      https://developers.google.com/apps-script/overview

      Hope it'll help.

  11. Hi.
    How do I work out a formula if I want to charge 50p for every unit after 50 (the first 50 are free)?
    Thank you

  12. How would I nest more than three if statements in this formula?

    =if (h2 = 3560,44190),if(3570,44290),if(3580,43390),if(3590,43490),if(3600,43590),if(3610,43690),if(3620,43790),if(3630,43890),if(3640,43990),if(3650,44090),if(3660,44190),if(3670,44290),if(3680,44390),if(3690,44490))

    super simple replacement here but it errors after 3. not sure if I should be using a different method here.

    1. Hello Joe,

      Here's how the correct syntaxis should look:
      =IF(H2=3560,44190,IF(H2=3570,44290,IF(H2=3580,43390,IF(...,IF(...)))))

      Or you can use the IFS function instead:
      =IFS(H2=3560,44190,H2=3570,44290,H2=3580,43390,...)

  13. Hello again Natalia,

    I have another formula question that is similar to what you helped me with last time. I am sharing the sheet with you now.

    What I am needing: I need a count of 1 or .5 next to "TOTAL =" depending on if their is a "SPLIT WITH" or not. If there is a persons name in the "SPLIT WITH" column then it needs to count ".5" and "1" if not.

    Thanks

    1. Kevin,

      The formula is actually the same as before. You just need to change the ranges and remove one excess condition from the previous formula:
      =(COUNTIFS($C$3:$C$52,"<>"&"",$G$3:$G$52,"="&""))+((COUNTIFS($C$3:$C$52,"<>"&"",$G$3:$G$52,"<>"&""))/2)

      Copy and paste it to your E1.

      Though I'm using COUNTIFS (count based on multiple criteria), you can get to know how COUNTIF works (count by one criterion). The functions are similar and you will understand how these formulas work:
      COUNTIF in Google Sheets

    2. Hello Kevin,

      Thank you for getting back in touch!
      I've got your file. I'll look into it and reply as soon as possible. Thank you for understanding.

  14. Hi,
    Let me explain the problem:column A is the asset of Jack & column B is the asset of Pot and column C is difference between A & B.

    =IF(A2>B2, "Jack has C2 more asset than PoT ","Pot has B2-A2 more asset than Jack").

    Is it correct???
    How to add both statement & cell value in same function.

    1. Hi,

      An ampersand will help you concatenate strings and cell references:
      =IF(A2>B2, "Jack has "&C2&" more asset than PoT","Pot has "&B2-A2&" more asset than Jack")

      You will find more info on this and other ways in this blog post: Concatenate in Google Sheets

  15. Hello there

    Hi I have a google sheet with guest check in and check out.
    my problem is I have the following function for timestamp when a value is entered in column A and gives me current timestamp in column C:
    //----
    function onEdit(e) {
    var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
    var r = ss.getActiveCell();
    //1.Change 'Sheet1' to be matching your sheet name
    if (r.getColumn() < 3 && ss.getName()=='Daily Guest Info') { // 2. If Edit is done in any column before Column (I) And sheet name is Sheet1 then:
    var celladdress ='C'+ r.getRowIndex()
    ss.getRange(celladdress).setValue(new Date()).setNumberFormat("MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm");
    }
    };
    I also have a check box at K5 to be checked at the time of payment so I have a timestamp on J5 with a formula below entered in J5
    =if(K5,NOW(),"").

    However, if I already have a cheked button on K6 and have a timestamp in J6
    whenever I enter a value in A1 all the timestaps stored in J6 change together.
    I know this is caused by the formula =if(H5,NOW(),"")
    do you have a better formula or function for this issue

    Thanks Mack

    1. Hello Mack,

      I'm sorry but NOW is the only function that returns a timestamp. It's a volatile function, so it recalculates itself in all cells each time anything is edited in the sheet. Thus, the standard formula is not an option here, I’m afraid. You need to use scripts to solve the task.

      Since we don't help with scripts, you may try to find the solution here – an overview of Google Apps Script with a lot of helpful content and links:
      https://developers.google.com/apps-script/overview

      I wish I could help you better.

  16. hi , my condition is if in priority column value is "high" or "medium" AND in status coloumn value is "open", then "to do" must be printed else "hold" must be printed
    how to do this ?
    columns are priority(values="high","medium","low"),status(values="completed","open")

    1. Hi Aswin,

      I believe this is the formula you're looking for:
      =IF(AND(OR($A2="high",$A2="medium"),$B2="open"),"to do","hold")

  17. Maybe someone can figure this out; I'm trying to modify a template I use to keep my checking balance by adding a column that can show me my balance based on what check have cleared, and a balance showing me what my actual balance is, including checks that may not have yet cleared. So, column D is a flag to tell me whether a check has cleared or not that I manually set. If that "x" is not true, or present, I'd like column H to show what is showing in the bank. Any suggestions are appreciated. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CDpexKUMuTcJEgCDXcq1XREFOoyjOsSyfBdISdiStNQ/edit#gid=0

    1. Hello Michael,

      I looked into your file and adjusted the formula in column H for you based on how I understood your task. Try putting the below into H5 and then copy the formula down:
      =IF(D5="x", $G$4-SUM($E$5:E5)+SUM($F$5:F5), G4)

      If that's not really what you're trying to achieve, please describe the task and the desired calculations in more detail.

  18. My question is:

    I have two drop downs of salespeoples names (one in column K and column L) and I have another column (AF) that calculates how many times a salespersons name is chosen in column K. I want to know if there is a way that if "James" is used in column K and no name is in column L it produces a numerical count of 1 next to James' name in column AF. But if "James" is in K or L and "Kevin" is in the opposite one, can it produce a .5 for each person in column AF?

    1. Hello Kevin,

      For us to get a better understanding of your case, please share a small sample spreadsheet with us (support@apps4gs.com) with 2 sheets: a plain example of your data and the result you expect to get. I kindly ask you to shorten the table to 10-20 rows.
      When sharing, make sure the option 'Notify people' is checked.

      Note. We keep that Google account for file sharing only and don't monitor its Inbox. Please do not email there. Once you share the file, just confirm by replying here.

      We'll look into the file and try to help.

      1. Natalia,

        I just gave you edit permission. Please help, if you can.

        Thanks again

      2. I added you to the spreadsheet in view mode only. As I stated, I have sales reps in Column K and L (sometimes). I want it to populate in column AF with the follow criteria:
        If a rep is in column K only then it counts 1 in column AF. If there is a rep in Column K and L then each rep gets a .5 in column AF.

        I hope this makes sense.

        1. Thank you for sharing the file, Kevin.

          There's one thing I need to clarify. Should the formula give .5 to each occurrence of a rep in both columns in the same row only? (And at the same time give 1 to all other occurrences when there's no name in the same row in column L?)
          Or should it give .5 to all occurrences of a rep in column K if the same name appears anywhere in column L at all?

          1. If their name is in Column K and there is no name in colomn L of the same row, then they get a 1. If their name is in either K or L with another name in the same row, then both reps get a .5 for that row. Each row should have either a 1 assigned or 2 - .5's assigned depending on an entity in column K or L. I hope that helps.

            1. Kevin,

              Try this one in AF4 and copy it down the TOTAL column:
              =(COUNTIFS($K$3:$K,"="&$AE4,$L$3:$L,"="&""))+
              ((COUNTIFS($K$3:$K,"="&$AE4,$L$3:$L,"<>"&""))/2)+
              (COUNTIFS($L$3:$L,"="&$AE4,$K$3:$K,"<>"&"")/2)

              1. You know, It is EXTREMELY possible that it is my fault. Which quotations in your formula does that reps name go in?

              2. Hmmm. That didn't work. It gave the rep a full count if they were in column L. On the sheet I shared with you, look at row 31. It has Aaron in column K and Adam in column L. In column AF it should give each of them a .5 count next to their names. In row 32 it has Evamarie in column K and no one in column L. This should give Evamarie a 1 count in AF next to her name. Let me know what I'm doing wrong....

              3. Kevin,

                I'm sorry, I don't see the formula I provided in your sheet so I don't see the result you're getting.
                This formula checks both columns at the same time. If only K or L is filled on the row, the name gets 1. If both columns are filled, both names get 0.5. Then all these numbers are summed in your Total next to the name of the interest.

                If this is not what you expected - my apologies if I get something wrong from your description. I kindly ask you to create and share a small example table that would illustrate the exact result you're trying to get.

  19. Hi there thanks for the amazing article! it's helped a lot.
    I currently am having an issuewith my if + vlookup statements.
    My current string:
    =if(B1=5,=VLOOKUP(I1,data!A:D,2),VLOOKUP(I1,data!A:D,3))

    If B1=5 I want it to look up I1's data in Collumn 2
    If B1=6 I want it to look up I1's data in Collumn 3
    If B1=7 I want it to look up I1's data in Collumn 4

    example
    B1 I1 J1
    5 10 =look at number 10 Collumn 6 and give that back

    1. Hi Caleb,

      If I'm getting your task clear, you should nest several IFs for multiple conditions like this:
      =IF(B1=5,VLOOKUP(I1,data!A:D,2),IF(B1=6,VLOOKUP(I1,data!A:D,3),IF(B1=7,VLOOKUP(I1,data!A:D,4))))

  20. I am trying to change the color based on a column with a dropdown to color a gantt. Any help would be great

    =IF(F4 ='Ministry', SPARKLINE(if(OR(today()D4),{int(C4)-int($C$2),if(C4=D4,1,int(D4)-int(C4))},{int(C4)-int($C$2),today()-int(C4),1,int(D4)-today()}),{"charttype","bar";"color1","white";"Light Blue"}),

    IF(F4 = 'Project',SPARKLINE(if(OR(today()D4),{int(C4)-int($C$2),if(C4=D4,1,int(D4)-int(C4))},{int(C4)-int($C$2),today()-int(C4),1,int(D4)-today()}), {"charttype","bar";"color1","white";"Light Blue"}),

    IF(F4 = 'Cerner/AscTech',SPARKLINE(if(OR(today()D4),{int(C4)-int($C$2),
    if(C4=D4,1,int(D4)-int(C4))},{int(C4)-int($C$2),today()-int(C4),1,int(D4)-today()}),{"charttype","bar";"color1","white";"Light Blue"}),)));"max",int($D$2)-int($C$2)}

  21. I am trying to use an if statement based on a data validation "yes" or "no" If the answer is yes the result will be a hyperlink (in a label) which the user can click to. If the the data validation is blank then the result is blank. If the answer is "no" I wish to return a text response. I am getting the hyperlink by getting the link from a different area in the sheet.
    Can anyone help as its driving me mad!

    1. Hello Lloyd,

      Supposing your data validation is in A2, the link is in B2, the formula you need can be as simple as this:
      =IF(A2="yes",B2,IF(A2="no","your_text_response",""))

  22. I'm looking for a formula for this
    A B C
    1 Red 50 Lunch
    2 Black 72 Dinner
    3 Blue 83 Lunch
    4 Orange 17 Lunch
    5 Green 23 Dinner

    Totals
    8 Lunch
    9 Dinner

    I want the SUM of Lunches that is in column B to show in B8 (150) and the SUM of Dinners that is in column B to show in B9 (95). How would I write out the formula? This is just an example of what I want to do, it's really for different bills (A) that are in different categories (C). The amount is in column B. I basically want the B's to add up by category below in row 8 and 9.

  23. Hey,

    I am trying to design a grade calculator for my students but I am stuck!

    I have made a dropdown with YES or NO in one column for certain units of work, and I need the formula for if they put 'yes' in all boxes it needs to show distinction, if they put yes in some and no in others its a merit or pass (dependence on answers to yes and no's)

    Anyone have any answers? I have been googling for a while!

    Any help would be ace!

    1. Hey Jacky,

      I'm afraid your task is not clear. With those little details you provided, I can only suggest how to start the formula: =IF(COUNTIF(A2:A10,"Yes")=9,...), where A2:A10 is a supposed column with the answers.
      What distinction should be seen and where if all answers are 'yes'? Also, "its a merit or pass (dependence on answers to yes and no’s)" please specify when it should be 'merit' or 'pass' exactly.

  24. Disregard previous question.

  25. Is there a way to write a function that keeps track of the sum of certain values in a column, if different column values meet a certain criteria into one cell.
    I have a chart to keep track of certain expenses for my building business.
    In one column it gives the "type of material" and then in another column it has the purchase amount. The type of materials change(ie: plumbing, framing, kitchen), so i need to get the sum of only certain values.
    Materials Type Purchase Amount
    Plumbing $20.00
    Trim $10.00
    Plumbing $20.00
    Is there a way on one cell to find the sum of only the plumbing total?

  26. Please disregard my previous email. A simple 'refresh' did the trick. Duh!

  27. Hi, I am a teacher and I'm trying to create a spreadsheet to track whether or not my students' test grades meet certain criteria.
    I have typed: =if(H7>=65,"yes","no)
    But when I hit Enter, the entire, exact formula is what shows up in the cell (not the 'yes' or 'no').

  28. Receiving a "VALUE" message when trying to add two if statements;
    D1 cell input; =SUM(IF(A2="x",E15,0)+IF(A3="x",E16,0); D1 displays "#VALUE"
    Cell References; E15=$40; E16=$20

    When separating the if statements into separate cells, values appear:
    D2 cell input; =IF(A2="x",E15,0); D2 Displays $40 value
    D3 cell input; =IF(A3="x",E16,0); D3 Displays $20 value

    D4 cell input; =SUM(D2+D3); D4 displays "#VALUE"

    Is Google unable to add simple IF statements without retrieving a "#VALUE" message?

    1. Hello Nick,

      Sorry, everything works on my end. Make sure you format all source cells correctly and add one more closing bracket to the very first formula.

      Also, you may want to try the SUMIFS function instead.

  29. I have a tracking sheet for projects with dollar amounts. Is there a way to do it that if the checkbox is checked (which in Google, it's marked TRUE) in cell A1, then the $ amount listed in cell F1 is added to the Total amount in cell F10. But if the checkmark isn't checked (FALSE), then that's not added to the Total in F10.
    All my brain can handle is: =IF(A1"TRUE" ... it's mush after that.
    Thanks!

  30. I'm trying to get a function that if a score is greater than 31 it says "exceeds" and turns blue, 22-28 it says "meets" and turns green, 14-21 it says "approaches" and turns yellow orange, and <=13 it says "Does Not Meet" and turns red but having some issues getting it to do all of that at once.

    1. Hello Kris,

      you're right, you can't do it all at once.

      To make cells return a certain text, you need to build a nested IF in those cells. You will find how to do that in the last paragraph of the blog post above.

      As for colours, you will have to create conditional formatting rules with the same IF formulas for each colour.

      1. Okay, I'm still having trouble with the nested IF statements though. Specifically the ones that are between two values like 14-21.

        1. Kris,

          to indicate ranges, you are to incorporate AND function like in those examples above:
          =IF(A2>31,"exceeds",IF(AND(A2>=22,A2<=28),"meets",IF(AND(A2>=14,A2<=21,"approaches",IF(A2<=13,"Does Not Meet","")))))

          Please bear in mind that this logic misses numbers 29-31 and adjust the formula accordingly if needed.

  31. Hi, great article, but I'm still struggling a little with this and am hoping you could help, please! I've created a dropdown with 5 options (Option A, Option B, Option C, etc.). If I select Option A in my dropdown, I want to display multiple cell values (x15) using QUERY. I can get this to work if I pick one option only using this:

    =IF(D10="Option A",QUERY('A-Different-Spreadsheet'!E4:E19,'F5))

    Picking 'Option A' in the dropdown will return the correct data. However, I can't work out how to chain together an IF statement so if Option B is selected, then I QUERY a different part of Spreadsheet 1, or if I select Option C, it queries a yet another part of the spreadsheet etc.

    Any suggestions on how to link these together would be super helpful! Or even being told that it's not possible would be useful!

  32. Hi,
    how would I put If field A bigger than field B then x, otherwise y.
    =IF(C3>A2,"Achtung","ok")
    doesn't work.
    Thanks

  33. Is it possible to do this but searching for a value in a column?
    I would like that if A1 = value in any cell in a column B, put cell C in the same row in cell D in same row.
    Hope it makes scense.

  34. If number in cell E2 equals 1-3, cell G2 equals $0.
    If number in cell E2 equals 4-6, cell G2 equals $100.00
    If number in cell E2 equals 7-9, cell G2 equals $250.00
    If number in cell E2 equals 10 or more, cell G2 equals $500.00

    Can you help me with this please?
    Thank you! Peg

    1. Hello Peg,

      You need to create a nested IF and introduce the AND operator for your conditions, like this:
      =IF(AND(E2>=1,E2<=3),0,IF(AND(E2>=4,E2<=6),100,IF(AND(E2>=7,E2<=9),250,IF(E2>=10,500,""))))

  35. Hey I am trying to populate my table using the if statement where I would like to check the value of a Boolean expression from column I so that if the statement returns as correct the value of column H should appear as the same in Column J So how should I write the statement

  36. Hi! I'm trying to make a formula that will return a numerical value (1 or .25) based on the information in 2 cells. If a cell has "trainer" in it, then return ".25", and if a cell has "sponsored", then return "1".
    I tried using the if(and formulas listed above, but get an error message. Here's my formula for reference.
    =IF(and(C4="Sponsored",F4<1),1,if(and(C4="Trainer",F4<1)0.25,))
    I also tried a different approach with nested if statements, and can get a result of 1 for sponsored, but get a blank cell for trainer. Here's that formula for reference.
    =if(F5 <1,if(C5="TRAINER",0.25),if(C5="SPONSORED", 1,))
    Any ideas?

    1. Hi, David,

      You missed a comma right before 0.25 (after the closing bracket) in your first formula, that's why it fires an error.
      As for the second one, the closing bracket after 0.25 is an excess one.

  37. I am trying to calculate break times out of hours worked, but my break times change depending on how many hours you work in a day - e.g work more than 6h10m but less than 8h10m = 30 min, any higher and it's 45 min.
    My formula is
    =IF(OR(E3>TIME(6,10,0),E3TIME(8,10,0),E3<TIME(9,9,0)),E3-TIME(0,45,0)))
    I have tried adding a the second "IF" argument, but it keeps returning only the 30 min deduction even when the result is greater than the 8h10min and I am not sure where it is going wrong. Am I asking too much of the formula for the one cell?

    1. Hello Chris,

      Will this formula do what you need?
      =IF(AND(E3>=TIME(6,10,0),E3<=TIME(8,10,0)),E3-TIME(0,30,0),IF(E3>TIME(8,10,0),E3-TIME(0,45,0),""))

      The first part checks if the time spent falls between 6h10m and 8h10m. If so, it subtracts 30 min from E3. The second IF checks if more than 8h10m was spent, in which case 45 min are subtracted.
      The very last double quotes mean that a cell will remain empty if it took less than 6h10m for the job.

  38. Hello, I am trying to sum several cells into another cell. Just by reading this, you would say "oh, that's easy". Not as simple as it is though. My aim is to have 3 options in a cell and each option should equal to a specific number (eg. D2 cell has options "Red" which is 0, "Yellow" which is 1, and "Green" which is 2. So the text in the cell should equal a number. I have several of these cells to create and all of them should be summed into another cell (eg. D2,E2,F2 to be all summed into J2). Hope it's understandable. :-)

    1. Hello Victor,

      Just to get it clear: are all 3 words in one cell? Or are they in different cells that you need to sum eventually? Also, are there any other words in cells?
      Please provide the exact contents of all the cells that you'd like to sum.
      Thank you.

  39. Is there a way to make this to not spit out false if the cell is blank? We would like to keep adding to this spreadsheet without a running list of FALSE down column K, if that makes sense.
    =if(F3="Chace: xxx","@ChaceChilds",if(F3="James: xxx","@JamestheRich"))

    1. Hello Cindi,

      Sure. It is double quotes that are used to indicate a blank cell. If I'm getting your task right, try adding the pair as the third parameter at the very end of your IF:
      =IF(F3="Chace: xxx","@ChaceChilds",IF(F3="James: xxx","@JamestheRich",""))

  40. I am creating a Workbook for my organization and am trying to pull data from different sheets into another sheet. I understand how to do that but I want one cell to pull data on the page from a different sheet, but then a different cell on that same page to read the data from the first cell and then pull the data from another sheet. I hope that makes sense.

    1. Hello Jason,

      I described different ways of pulling data between sheets in this blog post. You can also incorporate them to your IF function to check some condition first and then pull the needed data based on it.

  41. I am trying to create a If formula the if x=1 then pull results from another tab and cell. x could equal 1-5. When I creat this function: =if(F$12=1,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!B2,if(F$12=2,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!C2),if(F$12=3,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!D2),if(F$12=4,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!E2),if(F$12=5,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!F2)) .

    I am getting an error message that says, "Wrong number of arguments to IF. Expected between 2 and 3 arguments, but got 6 arguments." Can you think of a way that I could make this work or suggest an alternative way to address this? Thanks!

    1. Hi Tom,

      The problem is that you put a comma and each new IF after the closing bracket, while they should go inside of those, like the very first one you built. In other words, you need to move three first closing brackets to the very end of your formula:
      =IF(F$12=1,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!B2,IF(F$12=2,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!C2,IF(F$12=3,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!D2,IF(F$12=4,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!E2,IF(F$12=5,'Tier Monthly Incomes'!F2)))))

  42. Hello
    I am trying to create a formula but not able to crack it. There are 3 parameters based on which the result is calculated and also there is All parameter which is not there in the data. When I select All it should calculate for all the data and when i select a specific parameter is should calculate for that. I also need the result based on any combination. This is the formula i have come up with but it does not populate result If I select All for all the parameters.It does only for one selection of All
    =IF(BD41="All",(SUMPRODUCT(($AY$2:$AY$6600=$BD$2)*($AO$2:$AO$6600=BE41)*($B$2:$B$6600=BF41)*($AQ$2:$AQ$6600=BF42)*1)),IF(BE41="All",(SUMPRODUCT(($AY$2:$AY$6600=$BD$2)*($C$2:$C$6600=BD41)*($B$2:$B$6600=BF41)*($AQ$2:$AQ$6600=BF42)*1)),IF(BF41="All",(SUMPRODUCT(($AY$2:$AY$6600=$BD$2)*($C$2:$C$6600=BD41)*($AO$2:$AO$6600=BE41)*($AQ$2:$AQ$6600=BF42)*1)),(SUMPRODUCT(($AY$2:$AY$6600=$BD$2)*($AO$2:$AO$6600=$BE$41)*($C$2:$C$6600=BD41)*($B$2:$B$6600=BF41)*($AQ$2:$AQ$6600=BF42)* 1)))))

    Please help

    1. Hello Sandeep,

      I'm really sorry but I'm afraid we won't be able to trap the error without seeing your data.

  43. Hello!
    I am working with a donation spreadsheet that lists the companies and the years 2017, 2018, 2019 in separate columns. In each column for the years, the amount each company donated is in those columns. Some companies donated one year and not the others while others donated all three years. Is there any way for me to sort or filter which companies donated in 2019, in all three years, and the companies who donated in 2017 & 2018 but not in 2019? Would a filter be the best option, or are there ways to do a table or chart of some sort to organize this data by who donated which years?

    1. Hello Katrina,

      The easiest way, to my opinion, is to try our special tool that works like an advanced filter: it will create different lists based on different conditions (empty/not empty) without interfering with your source data.

      There are a few other standard ways to try though:

      1. Filter columns by conditions to meet your criteria. However, you'll need to change filtering conditions a few times to see the donations over different years.
      2. There are also options of creating a pivot table or a chart but you'll have to figure out how to set them properly for your task.

  44. Hi,
    I am trying to write a formula and was hoping someone may be able to help.
    I have created a training matrix for my work.
    Column A is the name of each employee, and Column B is labeled (Safety Training) Column C is labeled (ESD Training). Under each column I place an X next if the person in column A has been trained.

    On a second sheet, I am making a page for (Safety Training). I want that page to list each name that has an X under the safety training column on Sheet 1.

    I have created this formula =IF(Matrix!T6="X", Matrix!A6) which will bring the names into sheet 2, but In a list of 10 names, I see the names in column A on sheet 2, but the word "FALSE" elsewhere.

    Is there a way to look at sheet 1, and take just the names in Column A, that also have an X in Column T and list them on Sheet 2?
    I hope all of this makes sense.
    Thanks for the help.

    1. Hi Dan,

      Your formula looks correct, so it's hard to tell why it doesn't work without seeing your data.

      I should also mention that it is VLOOKUP that is usually used to match and pull records from one table to another. We also feature a special tool that returns all matches based on your conditions. Feel free to check it out.

  45. Hi,
    I'm trying to write a formula that will give me a text statement in column B if column A contains a specific number.
    For instance Column A can have a number that is 1-24, each number has a different item assigned to it. What I would like to do is put in the specific number in column A and have column B auto populate with the item name that correlates to it.
    1 = Apple
    2 = Orange
    7 = Pumpkin
    So on and so forth.
    Is there a formula that will actually do this?

    1. Hi Ricky,

      Sure. Assuming your numbers start from A2 and end in A10, here's the formula for numbers you specified:
      =ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A2:A10=1,"Apple",IF(A2:A10=2,"Orange",IF(A2:A10=7,"Pumpkin"))))

  46. =IF(and(B2="Wellness Pod","70")IF(and(B2="45min Pod Roll","47.40")))

    B2 column is a drop menu that we select which service the client had.

    I then need the value or a percentage of that value to display in the total column.

    Please help.

    (Also this is in google sheets)

    1. Hello Jessie,

      If I'm getting it clear, your formula should look like this:
      =IF(B2="Wellness Pod",70,IF(B2="45min Pod Roll",47.4,IF(...)))

  47. I'm trying to do a function where if F2, G2, or H2 are yes then I2:M2 are 0 but if F2, G2, or H2 are no then it's the autosum of I2:M2. I know this can be done in excel but the computer I have I am not able to put excel on. Can anyone please help me write this out to where it works or tell me if it can even be done?

    1. Hello Tawana,

      I guess this is a formula you need:
      =IF(OR(F2="yes",G2="yes",H2="yes"),0,SUM(I2:M2))

      However, you can't enter it to I2:M2 since these cells should be counted if any of F2, G2, or H2 have "yes" in them.
      So in other words, either the formula should be entered to other cells or you need to adjust the conditions.

  48. If(N2,N2,if(O2,$P$1,""))
    IN THIS FORMULA,EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN I ENTERED A GOOGLE FORM SHEET AND IT APPEAR RESULT ON GOOGLE SHEET. THE FORMULA AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEXT CELL.
    PLEASE HELP ME: JUST TELL ME HOW I CAN ALLOCATE FORMULA EACH AND EVERY CELL IF ANOTHER INFO. IS ENTERED FROM GOOGLE FORM LATER...

    1. Hello Sayra,

      I'm afraid you will have to copy the formula manually since each submitted Form response is added as a new row to Google Sheets.

  49. i want to permit serially typing to 50 staff members in excel(google spread sheer) eg. 1.ABC, 2.DEF, 3.GHI, 4.JKL, in this serial other than 1 will not type data before 1st NO., then only No. 2 will type data, then only 3, then only 4 ---will type the data by using e-mail

    1. Hello there,

      I'm really sorry but your task is not clear to me. Please describe it in more detail and provide an example of what you have at the start and what you're trying to get.
      I'll try my best to help.

  50. Principal:Interest:Balance:
    $330.29 $69.71 $23,465.76
    $83.32 $131.68 $23,382.44
    $587.18 $27.82 $22,795.26
    $606.29 $8.71 $22,188.97
    $536.55 $78.45 $21,652.42
    $0.00 $21,652.42
    I'm wanting the spreadsheet to show "$0.00" if there is no principal or interest is added in the row. How would I do the formula to make it show this? =SUM(K10-I11) is what the formula is looking like!

    1. Hello Mike,

      I'm sorry I'm a bit confused. Is it the balance that should show $0.00 if principal and interest are missing or something else? What do you use the SUM formula for?
      Please provide more details on your task so I could understand it fully and suggest accordingly.

      Thank you.

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