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COUNTIF in Google Sheets: count rows that match one rule

Count statuses, names, dates and text matches with criteria that behave as expected.

JosephineWritten by JosephinePublished June 18, 2026Last updated July 26, 20269 min
COUNTIF in Google Sheets — SheetSteps
QUICK ANSWER

Use =COUNTIF(range,criterion). Put text criteria in quotation marks, join operators to cell references with &, and use COUNTIFS for several rules.

Before you count rows that match a condition, set up a clean source range and one result you can check by hand. That gives you a known answer before the sheet grows.

This article shows how to count rows that match a condition. The sample sheet uses ordinary rows so you can copy the method into an existing file without rebuilding everything.

COUNTIF in Google Sheets spreadsheet used in this article
A working sheet built for this article. The numbers are sample data.
01
INSTRUCTIONS

COUNTIF in Google Sheets: count rows that match one rule

  1. 01
    Make a safe copy

    Duplicate the source tab or file before changing formulas, ranges or formatting.

  2. 02
    Set up the source rows

    Add the fields needed to count rows that match a condition. Keep one record on each row and one field in each column.

  3. 03
    Add the method

    Enter =COUNTIF(C2:C100,"Open") in a test cell and check its first result.

  4. 04
    Check a known case

    Pick one row whose answer you already know and compare it with the sheet result.

  5. 05
    Test the awkward rows

    Check blanks, zeros, repeated entries and one row that should not match.

  6. 06
    Apply it to the full range

    Copy the formula or rule only after the sample cases return the expected result.

02
FORMULAS

Set up the sheet for COUNTIF in Google Sheets

Keep the source table rectangular. A single header row, no merged cells and consistent cell types make the work much easier to check.

Place settings, fixed rates or allowed labels on a separate tab. Name them clearly so another person can read the file without tracing every cell.

  • Keep text criteria in quotes
  • Check extra spaces
  • Use & with cell-based operators
  • Switch to COUNTIFS for several rules
03
FORMULAS

Check the first result before copying it

A result that looks plausible can still be wrong. Work through one row manually, compare it with the Sheet and check every referenced cell.

Next, test a blank row and an unusual row. These two checks catch many range, type and copied-reference mistakes before they spread.

fx=COUNTIF(C2:C100,"Open")
04
FORMULAS

Keep the file reliable as new rows arrive

Leave input columns visually separate from calculated columns. Protect formulas when several people edit the same file, and keep dropdown lists or settings outside the main table.

Add a short check near the result: row count, unmatched count, last refresh time or a manual spot check. The right check depends on the job, but it should make a bad update easy to notice.

05
COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions people ask

How do I count text in Google Sheets?＋

Use COUNTIF with the text as the criterion, for example =COUNTIF(C:C,"Open").

Can COUNTIF use wildcards?＋

Yes. * matches any sequence of characters and ? matches one character.

How do I count dates after today?＋

Use =COUNTIF(range,">"&TODAY()).

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