In Excel: use =COUNTIF(range, criteria) — it counts how many cells in range meet a single condition you specify.
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
range | required | The cells to examine, such as a column of statuses or values. |
criteria | required | The condition a cell must meet to be counted, like "Done", ">=50" or "A*". |
Related functions
Grand total: 1,250.50
| Region | Sum |
|---|---|
| West | 125.50 |
| East | 1050 |
| South | 75 |
The same thing in your own sheet
Sum · Excel & Sheets
Need it as an auditable file?
Ships inside the linked template — formula-driven, unlocked, audit-ready.
What this does
COUNTIF tallies cells that satisfy one condition. It scans range and counts every cell matching the criteria, which can be exact text, a number, a comparison like ">=50", or a wildcard pattern. It answers questions like how many orders are "Shipped", how many scores are at least 60, or — by counting a value against its own column — how many times an entry is duplicated. Keep the inputs visible and clearly labelled and the whole thing stays auditable — anyone who opens the file later, including you, can see at a glance exactly what feeds the result and change one assumption without hunting through the formula. Treat “excel countif multiple conditions” 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 cells 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 calculation you can defend to a CFO or an auditor into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
Order statuses are in C2:C200. To count how many are shipped: =COUNTIF(C2:C200, "Shipped"), returning say 143. To count scores of 60 or higher in B2:B200: =COUNTIF(B2:B200, ">=60"). To find duplicates of the value in A2, count it against the whole column: =COUNTIF(A:A, A2) — a result above 1 means the value repeats. COUNTIF is the quickest way to answer "how many" against one condition — open tasks, passing grades, repeated entries — without filtering or a pivot table. One habit worth forming early: name the cells that hold your inputs, so the formula reads in plain language instead of a string of cell addresses. A reviewer — or you in three months — can then follow the logic without decoding what B7 and D2 were supposed to mean, which is most of what makes a sheet maintainable.
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: the tool runs entirely in your browser, the formula is shown in full with one-click copy, and the steps work the same on Windows and Mac. That is the whole promise here — the exact answer, a way to prove it on your own numbers, and just enough context to make it stick. Here is the takeaway for “excel countif multiple conditions”: copy the answer if you are busy, but if you have a spare few minutes, rebuild the example in Excel yourself with the tool above open beside it. That single pass — type it, run it, watch the result move when you change an input — is what turns a formula you found into a technique you trust. Keep your inputs labelled and referenced, never hard-coded, and the same sheet stays correct and auditable as it grows. Done that way, you will not need to look this up again, and you will be the person others ask.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the quotes around a comparison — ">=60" must be a quoted string, not >=60 on its own.
- Expecting
COUNTIFto handle two conditions; for multiple criteria useCOUNTIFSinstead. - Counting blanks unexpectedly — "" and truly empty cells behave differently, so use "<>"&"" for non-blanks or
COUNTBLANKfor blanks.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count cells greater than a number?
Put the operator and value in quotes as the criteria: =COUNTIF(B2:B100, ">50"). The same works for ">=", "<", "<=" and "<>" for not-equal.
How do I count duplicate values with COUNTIF?
Compare each value to the whole column: =COUNTIF(A:A, A2) returns how many times A2 appears. Filling it down and looking for results above 1 highlights every duplicate.
Can COUNTIF count partial text?
Yes, with wildcards: "*report*" counts cells containing "report" anywhere, "A*" counts cells starting with A, and "?at" counts three-letter cells ending in "at".