In Excel: use =COUNT(range) for numbers, =COUNTA(range) for any non-empty cell, or =COUNTIF(range, criteria) to count matches.
On this page7
Decide what you are counting: numbers (COUNT), all entries (COUNTA), or matches (COUNTIF).
In a blank cell type the function and select the range, e.g. =COUNTA(A1:A10).
For a condition, add it: =COUNTIF(range, ">100") or =COUNTIF(range, "Text").
Press Enter; copy across if you are counting several columns.
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. For “excel count if not blank”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected blanks change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. 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 is what makes a workflow that saves repeating the same clicks every week useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
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. Check the referenced cells, argument order and result type in your workbook. Start with the worked example before changing an input, then compare the changed result with the calculation you expected. An error value or a result of a different type is a reason to inspect the inputs and arguments.
In Google Sheets
The standard worksheet functions used by this example are listed in Google Sheets. Check the cell references, argument separators and input types in the target spreadsheet, then compare the worked result. This formula-availability check does not establish identical menus, keyboard shortcuts or workbook features, and it is not a product execution test. 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. For “excel count if not blank”, keep the input cells and the result visible while you check the formula in Excel. Follow the worked example and change one input at a time. The steps explain the workbook calculation; this page does not run a live calculator for that task.
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 “excel count cells not blank”, “excel count cells that are not blank”, “count if empty excel” and “excel count if not empty”. 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 count cells not blank”, “excel count cells that are not blank”, “count if empty excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.