In Excel: use =COUNT(range) for numbers, =COUNTA(range) for any non-empty cell, or =COUNTIF(range, criteria) to count matches.
On this page7
Operators >, >=, <, <=, <> and the * / ? wildcards all work, exactly as in Excel. Matching is case-insensitive.
- Not blank (COUNTA)
- 6
- Numbers (COUNT)
- 3
- Text cells
- 3
- Blank (COUNTBLANK)
- 2
8 cells read
COUNT only counts numbers; COUNTA counts anything that is not blank. A number stored as text is text to both.
What this does
Counting splits into three jobs and three functions. COUNT tallies only cells containing numbers; COUNTA tallies every non-empty cell including text; COUNTBLANK tallies the empties. When you only want cells meeting a condition, COUNTIF (one rule) and COUNTIFS (several) do the filtering for you. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “count of non empty cells in excel”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected blanks visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
In a list A1:A10 with some blanks, =COUNTA(A1:A10) returns how many cells have anything in them, while =COUNT(A1:A10) returns only the numeric ones. To count orders over €100, =COUNTIF(A1:A10,">100"). To count "North" entries in column B, =COUNTIF(B1:B10,"North"). Counting answers the “how many” questions that drive every report — orders placed, tickets open, rows matching a filter. Picking the right one of COUNT, COUNTA and COUNTIF is the whole skill. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
If you are in Google Sheets rather than Excel, the good news is that the formula shown here is identical and the workflow barely changes — menus sit across the top instead of in a ribbon, and a few function names differ slightly, but anything you build here moves across with little or no rework. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, rebuild the example once in your own sheet — doing it yourself, with the tool above to check against, is what turns a copied formula into a technique you own. If you take one thing from this page on “count of non empty cells in excel”, make it the habit rather than the keystrokes: set the problem up with labelled inputs, reference those cells, and let Excel do the recomputing. Bookmark the page for the syntax, but do the example once in a blank sheet and check it against the tool above — five minutes of hands-on practice fixes the method in memory far better than re-reading, and it surfaces the small snags while they are still harmless. After that the technique is genuinely yours: faster than searching for it again, and reliable enough to drop into work that other people depend on.
Common mistakes
- Using
COUNTwhen you meanCOUNTA—COUNTskips text and returns too few. - Putting the criteria without quotes (">100" needs the quotes).
- Counting a range that includes the header row, inflating the total by one.
- Expecting
COUNTIFto be case-sensitive — it is not; use EXACT insideSUMPRODUCTfor case rules.
Frequently asked questions
COUNT vs COUNTA?
COUNT only counts numbers; COUNTA counts any non-empty cell, text included. For empties, use COUNTBLANK.
How do I count with two conditions?
Use COUNTIFS: =COUNTIFS(B1:B10,"North",A1:A10,">100") counts rows that are North AND over 100.
How do I count unique values?
In modern Excel and Google Sheets, =COUNTA(UNIQUE(range)) counts distinct entries in one step.
Other ways people ask this
This is also commonly searched as “count non empty cells excel”, “excel turn non-empty cells to array”, “how to count non empty cells in excel” and “how to print gridlines in excel with empty cells”. They describe the identical operation, so you are in the right place no matter how you phrased it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “count non empty cells excel”, “excel turn non-empty cells to array”, “how to count non empty cells in excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.