In Excel: multiply two cells with =A2*B2, multiply a range with =PRODUCT(A2:A10), and copy the formula down when each row needs its own result.
On this page7
Click the result cell.
Type =, select the first value, type *, then select the second value.
Press Enter and format the result if it represents currency or units.
Drag or double-click the fill handle to copy the multiplication formula down a table.
What this does
Excel uses the asterisk (*) as the multiplication operator. For one row, multiply cell references directly; for many values in one formula, PRODUCT multiplies every number in a range. Because cell references adjust as you copy down, a single row formula can calculate quantity times price for an entire table. 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. Treat “multiply two columns in excel” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected columns shows up while it is still harmless. 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. That turns a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
Quantity is in A2 and unit price is in B2. Enter =A2*B2 in C2: 12 units at 4.50 returns 54.00. Fill the formula down and row 3 becomes =A3*B3 automatically. If A2:A5 holds 2, 3, 4 and 5, =PRODUCT(A2:A5) returns 120. Multiplication is the backbone of pricing sheets, inventory totals, unit conversions, weighted scores and any model where a count has to be scaled by a rate, price, percentage or factor. A practical tip before you scale it up: build it once on a small block of test data, confirm the number against the tool on this page, and only then point it at your real sheet. That one habit catches almost every mistake while it is still cheap to fix, long before a wrong figure reaches a report or a colleague.
In Google Sheets
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. If you take one thing from this page on “multiply two columns 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 x instead of *; Excel treats x as text or a name, not multiplication.
- Forgetting parentheses when multiplying part of a larger expression, such as
=(A2+B2)*C2. - Copying a formula with fixed references accidentally; use $ only when one multiplier should stay constant.
- Multiplying numbers stored as text, which can return errors or unexpected zeros until the data is converted.
Frequently asked questions
What symbol multiplies in Excel?
Use the asterisk: =A2*B2.
How do I multiply a whole column by one number?
Put the multiplier in one cell, use an absolute reference like =A2*$E$1, then fill down.
When should I use PRODUCT?
Use PRODUCT when one formula needs to multiply many cells or a whole range, such as =PRODUCT(A2:A10).
Other ways people ask this
This is also commonly searched as “excel multiply two columns”, “how do you multiply two columns in excel”, “how do i multiply two columns in excel” and “excel multiply two columns row by row”. 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. “excel multiply two columns”, “how do you multiply two columns in excel”, “how do i multiply two columns in excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.