How To Use Countif In Google Sheets

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Google Sheets is a powerful spreadsheet tool that you can use to organize and analyze data. Among its most useful features is the COUNTIF function. This function allows you to count the number of cells within a range that meet the given condition. In this article, we will guide you on how to use the COUNTIF function.

What is COUNTIF?

COUNTIF is a function that counts cells in a specified range that meet a certain criterion. The syntax of the COUNTIF function is:

=COUNTIF(range, criterion)

Where:

  • Range is the group of cells you want to count.
  • Criterion is the condition that a cell must meet to be counted.

Example of Using COUNTIF

Let’s use a simple example to understand how to use the COUNTIF function. Suppose you have a list of grades and you want to count the number of students who scored above 80.

Here is how you can do it:

=COUNTIF(A2:A10,">80")

This formula will count the number of cells in the range A2:A10 that have a value greater than 80.

Using COUNTIF with Text Strings

COUNTIF can also be used with text strings. For instance, if you have a list of names and want to count the number of times a specific name appears, you can use the following formula:

=COUNTIF(A2:A10,"John")

This will count the number of times “John” appears in the range A2:A10.

Using COUNTIF with Wildcards

If you want to count cells based on partial match, you can use wildcards with the COUNTIF function. The asterisk (*) and question mark (?) are two wildcards you can use in Google Sheets. The asterisk represents any number of characters, while the question mark represents a single character.

For example, if you want to count the number of cells that start with “Jo”, you can use the following formula:

=COUNTIF(A2:A10,"Jo*")

Google Sheets will then count all cells in the range A2:A10 that start with “Jo”, regardless of what characters follow.

Conclusion

The COUNTIF function is a versatile tool that can help you to analyze your data in Google Sheets. With the ability to count cells based on specific criteria, you can perform a wide range of tasks quickly and efficiently. Keep practicing and exploring different criteria to make the most out of this function.