How to Use the COUNTIF Function in Excel for Smart Counting

The COUNTIF function is one of the most versatile and beginner-friendly formulas in Excel. It lets you count how many times a condition is met in a dataset — from completed tasks to sales over ₹10,000.

📘 What is COUNTIF?

COUNTIF is a statistical function that counts the number of cells that meet a single condition in a range.

🧪 Syntax:

=COUNTIF(range, criteria)

• range: The group of cells you want to check.
• criteria: The condition that must be met (e.g., “>100”, “Complete”, 5, etc.).

✅ Practical Examples

• Count students who passed: =COUNTIF(B2:B20, "Pass")
• Sales above ₹10,000: =COUNTIF(C2:C50, ">10000")
• Tasks marked "Done": =COUNTIF(D2:D10, "Done")
• Blank cells: =COUNTIF(A1:A20, "")
• Cells not equal to “No”: =COUNTIF(A1:A10, "<>No")

⚠️ Tips to Use COUNTIF Effectively

• Always enclose text criteria in quotes.
• Use wildcards like * and ? for partial matches.
• Need multiple conditions? Use COUNTIFS instead.

📌 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re managing tasks, analyzing customer responses, or filtering sales data, COUNTIF brings efficiency and clarity. Start small — then combine it with other formulas for even smarter spreadsheets.

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