How to use IF function in Excel: examples for text, numbers, dates, blanks

In this article, you will learn how to build an Excel IF statement for different types of values as well as how to create multiple IF statements.

IF is one of the most popular and useful functions in Excel. Generally, you use an IF statement to test a condition and to return one value if the condition is met, and another value if the condition is not met.

In this tutorial, we are going to learn the syntax and common usages of the Excel IF function, and then take a closer look at formula examples that will hopefully prove helpful to both beginners and experienced users.

IF function in Excel

IF is one of logical functions that evaluates a certain condition and returns one value if the condition is TRUE, and another value if the condition is FALSE.

The syntax of the IF function is as follows:

IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

As you see, IF takes a total of 3 arguments, but only the first one is obligatory, the other two are optional.

Logical_test (required) - the condition to test. Can be evaluated as either TRUE or FALSE.

Value_if_true (optional) - the value to return when the logical test evaluates to TRUE, i.e. the condition is met. If omitted, the value_if_false argument must be defined.

Value_if_false (optional) - the value to return when the logical test evaluates to FALSE, i.e. the condition is not met. If omitted, the value_if_true argument must be set.

Basic IF formula in Excel

To create a simple If then statement in Excel, this is what you need to do:

  • For logical_test, write an expression that returns either TRUE or FALSE. For this, you'd normally use one of the logical operators.
  • For value_if_true, specify what to return when the logical test evaluates to TRUE.
  • For value_if_false, specify what to return when the logical test evaluates to FALSE. Though this argument is optional, we recommend always configuring it to avoid unexpected results. For the detailed explanation, please see Excel IF: things to know.

As an example, let's write a very simple IF formula that checks a value in cell A2 and returns "Good" if the value is greater than 80, "Bad" otherwise:

=IF(B2>80, "Good", "Bad")

This formula goes to C2, and then is copied down through C7: Basic IF formula in Excel.

In case you wish to return a value only when the condition is met (or not met), otherwise - nothing, then use an empty string ("") for the "undefined" argument. For example:

=IF(B2>80, "Good", "")

This formula will return "Good" if the value in A2 is greater than 80, a blank cell otherwise: IF formula to return nothing when the condition is not met.

Excel If then formula: things to know

Though the last two parameters of the IF function are optional, your formula may produce unexpected results if you don't know the underlying logic.

If value_if_true is omitted

If the 2nd argument of your Excel IF formula is omitted (i.e. there are two consecutive commas after the logical test), you'll get zero (0) when the condition is met, which makes no sense in most cases. Here is an example of such a formula:

=IF(B2>80, , "Bad")

To return a blank cell instead, supply an empty string ("") for the second parameter, like this:

=IF(B2>80, "", "Bad")

The screenshot below demonstrates the difference: The behavior of the value_if_true argument.

If value_if_false is omitted

Omitting the 3rd parameter of IF will produce the following results when the logical test evaluates to FALSE.

If there is just a closing bracket after value_if_true, the IF function will return the logical value FALSE. Quite unexpected, isn't it? Here is an example of such a formula:

=IF(B2>80, "Good")

Typing a comma after the value_if_true argument will force Excel to return 0, which doesn't make much sense either:

=IF(B2>80, "Good",)

The most reasonable approach is using a zero-length string ("") to get a blank cell when the condition is not met:

=IF(B2>80, "Good", "") The behavior of the value_if_false argument.

Tip. To return a logical value when the specified condition is met or not met, supply TRUE for value_if_true and FALSE for value_if_false. For the results to be Boolean values that other Excel functions can recognize, don't enclose TRUE and FALSE in double quotes as this will turn them into normal text values.

Using IF function in Excel - formula examples

Now that you are familiar with the IF function's syntax, let's look at some formula examples and learn how to use If then statements in real-life scenarios.

Excel IF function with numbers

To build an IF statement for numbers, use logical operators such as:

  • Equal to (=)
  • Not equal to (<>)
  • Greater than (>)
  • Greater than or equal to (>=)
  • Less than (<)
  • Less than or equal to (<=)

Above, you have already seen an example of such a formula that checks if a number is greater than a given number.

And here's a formula that checks if a cell contains a negative number:

=IF(B2<0, "Invalid", "")

For negative numbers (which are less than 0), the formula returns "Invalid"; for zeros and positive numbers - a blank cell. A formula to check if a cell contains a negative number.

Excel IF function with text

Commonly, you write an IF statement for text values using either "equal to" or "not equal to" operator.

For example, the following formula checks the Delivery Status in B2 to determine whether an action is required or not:

=IF(B2="delivered", "No", "Yes")

Translated into plain English, the formula says: return "No" if B2 is equal to "delivered", "Yes" otherwise. Using the IF function with text.

Another way to achieve the same result is to use the "not equal to" operator and swap the value_if_true and value_if_false values:

=IF(C2<>"delivered", "Yes", "No")

Notes:

  • When using text values for IF's parameters, remember to always enclose them in double quotes.
  • Like most other Excel functions, IF is case-insensitive by default. In the above example, it does not differentiate between "delivered", "Delivered", and "DELIVERED".

Case-sensitive IF statement for text values

To treat uppercase and lowercase letters as different characters, use IF in combination with the case-sensitive EXACT function.

For example, to return "No" only when B2 contains "DELIVERED" (the uppercase), you'd use this formula:

=IF(EXACT(B2,"DELIVERED"), "No", "Yes") Case-sensitive IF statement for text values.

If cell contains partial text

In situation when you want to base the condition on partial match rather than exact match, an immediate solution that comes to mind is using wildcards in the logical test. However, this simple and obvious approach won't work. Many functions accept wildcards, but regrettably IF is not one of them.

A working solution is to use IF in combination with ISNUMBER and SEARCH (case-insensitive) or FIND (case-sensitive).

For example, in case "No" action is required both for "Delivered" and "Out for delivery" items, the following formula will work a treat:

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("deliv", B2)), "No", "Yes") IF cell contains partial text.

For more information, please see:

Excel IF statement with dates

At first sight, it may seem that IF formulas for dates are akin to IF statements for numeric and text values. Regrettably, it is not so. Unlike many other functions, IF does recognize dates in logical tests and interprets them as mere text strings. In other words, you cannot supply a date in the form of "1/1/2020" or ">1/1/2020". To make the IF function recognize a date, you need to wrap it in the DATEVALUE function.

For example, here's how you can check if a given date is greater than another date:

=IF(B2>DATEVALUE("7/18/2022"), "Coming soon", "Completed")

This formula evaluates the dates in column B and returns "Coming soon" if a game is scheduled for 18-Jul-2022 or later, "Completed" for a prior date. Excel IF statement with dates.

Of course, there is nothing that would prevent you from entering the target date in a predefined cell (say E2) and referring to that cell. Just remember to lock the cell address with the $ sign to make it an absolute reference. For instance:

=IF(B2>$E$2, "Coming soon", "Completed")

To compare a date with the current date, use the TODAY() function. For example:

=IF(B2>TODAY(), "Coming soon", "Completed")

Excel IF statement for blanks and non-blanks

If you are looking to somehow mark your data based on a certain cell(s) being empty or not empty, you can either:

  • Use the IF function together with ISBLANK, or
  • Use the logical expressions ="" (equal to blank) or <>"" (not equal to blank).

The table below explains the difference between these two approaches with formula examples.

  Logical test Description Formula Example
Blank cells =""

Evaluates to TRUE if a cell is visually empty, even if it contains a zero-length string.

Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.

 =IF(A1="", 0, 1)

Returns 0 if A1 is visually blank. Otherwise returns 1.

If A1 contains an empty string (""), the formula returns 0.
ISBLANK()

Evaluates to TRUE is a cell contains absolutely nothing - no formula, no spaces, no empty strings.

Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.

 =IF(ISBLANK(A1), 0, 1)

Returns 0 if A1 is absolutely empty, 1 otherwise.

If A1 contains an empty string (""), the formula returns 1.
Non-blank cells <>"" Evaluates to TRUE if a cell contains some data. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.

Cells with zero-length strings are considered blank.

 =IF(A1<>"", 1, 0)

Returns 1 if A1 is non-blank; 0 otherwise.

If A1 contains an empty string, the formula returns 0.
ISBLANK()=FALSE Evaluates to TRUE if a cell is not empty. Otherwise, evaluates to FALSE.

Cells with zero-length strings are considered non-blank.

 =IF(ISBLANK(A1)=FALSE, 0, 1)

Works the same as the above formula, but returns 1 if A1 contains an empty string.

And now, let's see blank and non-blank IF statements in action. Suppose you have a date in column B only if a game has already been played. To label the completed games, use one of these formulas:

=IF(B2="", "", "Completed")

=IF(ISBLANK(B2), "", "Completed")

=IF($B2<>"", "Completed", "")

=IF(ISBLANK($B2)=FALSE, "Completed", "")

In case the tested cells have no zero-length strings, all the formulas will return exactly the same results: IF statement for blank and non-blank cells.

Check if two cells are the same

To create a formula that checks if two cells match, compare the cells by using the equals sign (=) in the logical test of IF. For example:

=IF(B2=C2, "Same score", "") Check if two cells contain the same values.

To check if the two cells contain same text including the letter case, make your IF formula case-sensitive with the help of the EXACT function.

For instance, to compare the passwords in A2 and B2, and returns "Match" if the two strings are exactly the same, "Do not match" otherwise, the formula is:

=IF(EXACT(A2, B2), "Match", "Don't match") Case-sensitive IF formula to check if two cells match.

IF then formula to run another formula

In all of the previous examples, an Excel IF statement returned values. But it can also perform a certain calculation or execute another formula when a specific condition is met or not met. For this, embed another function or arithmetic expression in the value_if_true and/or value_if_false arguments.

For example, if B2 is greater than 80, we'll have it multiplied by 7%, otherwise by 3%:

=IF(B2>80, B2*7%, B2*3%) IF formula that runs another formula.

Multiple IF statements in Excel

In essence, there are two ways to write multiple IF statements in Excel:

  • Nesting several IF functions one into another
  • Using the AND or OR function in the logical test

Nested IF statement

Nested IF functions let you place multiple IF statements in the same cell, i.e. test multiple conditions within one formula and return different values depending on the results of those tests.

Assume your goal is to assign different bonuses based on the score:

  • Over 90 - 10%
  • 90 to 81 - 7%
  • 80 to 70 - 5%
  • Less than 70 - 3%

To accomplish the task, you write 3 separate IF functions and nest them one into another like this:

=IF(B2>90, 10%, IF(B2>=81, 7%, IF(B2>=70, 5%, 3%))) Nested IF statement.

For more formula examples, please see:

Excel IF statement with multiple conditions

To evaluate several conditions with the AND or OR logic, embed the corresponding function in the logical test:

For example, to return "Pass" if both scores in B2 and C2 are higher than 80, the formula is:

=IF(AND(B2>80, C2>80), "Pass", "Fail")

To get "Pass" if either score is higher than 80, the formula is:

=IF(OR(B2>80, C2>80), "Pass", "Fail") Excel IF statement with multiple conditions.

For full details, please visit:

If error in Excel

Starting from Excel 2007, we have a special function, named IFERROR, to check formulas for errors. In Excel 2013 and higher, there is also the IFNA function to handle #N/A errors.

And still, there may be some circumstances when using the IF function together with ISERROR or ISNA is a better solution. Basically, IF ISERROR is the formula to use when you want to return something if error and something else if no error. The IFERROR function is unable to do that as it always returns the result of the main formula if it isn't an error.

For example, to compare each score in column B against the top 3 scores in E2:E4, and return "Yes" if a match is found, "No" otherwise, you enter this formula in C2, and then copy it down through C7:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(B2, $E$2:$E$4, 0)), "No", "Yes" ) If error formula in Excel.

For more information, please see IF ISERROR formula in Excel.

Hopefully, our examples have helped you get a grasp of the Excel IF basics. I thank you for reading and hope to see you on our blog next week!

Practice workbook

Excel IF statement - formula examples (.xlsx file)

Table of contents

4763 comments

  1. In column A (there are 4 sentence choices: I want an Apple, I don't like Bananas, I love coconuts, I need water)

    A1 I want an Apple
    A2 I don't like Bananas
    A3 I love coconuts
    A4 I need water

    In column B, I want to use a function to check column A and search for partial text, then past a value in cell. For example, in B1, check A1 for "ppl" and copy the value "Yes" to cell in B1

    What function should I use?

  2. How can I formulate a cell to cover a range of one column and when the number in that column reaches zero or below zero, the cell will populate with a column next to the original range with that 2nd column's date.
    Example column A shows balance, and when loan balance reaches zero (or below) populate the date in the column next to show when loan is paid off.

  3. I need an example, which shows if cell contains the specified the value it should return as it is, if not it should run the following formula.

  4. HOw to write the following using IF ?

    0.70-0.75 1
    0.75-0.80 0.9
    0.80-0.85 0.8
    0.85-0.90 0.7
    0.90-0.95 0.6
    0.95-1.00 0.5
    1.00-1.05 0.4
    1.05-1.10 0.3
    1.10-1.15 0.2
    1.15-1.20 0.1
    1.20-1.25 0

  5. Hello;
    I have the formula which i stated below, doesn't work. Could you help me on this matter.
    The idea is: i will insert the data in C30 and if it's blank it will show "Please insert rank in cell C30" but if it's not blank it will show the value that searched through the table which is between "b33 and b41". So far it worked (without using AND formula).
    Lastly i want the insert values to be between 0 and 10. So i put the and formula but it doesnt work.
    Sincerely.
    =AND(IF(ISBLANK($C$30);"Please Insert Rank in cell C30";(INDEX($B$33:$B$41;$C$30)));(c30>0;c30<10)

  6. Hi, im looking for the right formula to identify the value statement.
    example:
    Category Description Amount BDO Eastwest
    Cash In BDO 500 (formula?)- on how to appear the amount

  7. if i want to input a value in cell A1, then each time the output value in cell B1 must be added to that value. in this scenario which formula i should use ?

  8. Hi, I'm trying to create a formula that will provide a "True" statement if the cell is blank between 1/1/19 and 5/30/19. Then a formula to identify blank cells after 6/30/19. I'm using these formulas for conditional formatting.

  9. I want to see automatic date in cell if I enter some dispatch quantity
    Example--
    Date Dispatch Quantity
    Today Date 150 and any other number >0

  10. is there any formula to find out the total figer of a person whose name in a sheet 3 to 4 time.

  11. AMT Clientname client code
    42560 SAP 1234
    31760 DELL 4321
    2150 INTEL 3412

  12. i want to user if and in single formula
    exp:A=>1&B=SAP=1234
    A=>1&B=DELL=4321
    A=>1&B=INTEL=3412

  13. I want to know how to work this formula out: in cell M1, I add F1+ I1+J1+K1+L1, but if the total in cell F1 an I1 is 0 then the total should be 0

  14. Can you please help with a formula to calculate a Balance column for a Cost and/or Refund for an expense sheet. I cannot figure out how to set up my balance column to calculate when a cost or refund was entered and give the new balance (either an addition for the refund or subtraction for the cost). The header for each column for the sheet looks like this:
    Date Initials Client Name Description Cost Refund Balance

  15. Hi,
    I am Aaditya please help me how can set this formula
    Data
    If A, B and C dealer has Purchased goods in different slab
    Slab Slab Point Purchase
    Silver 8000 7200
    Purple 5300 4900
    Blue 3000 5300

  16. HI i am having on question
    i am having a excel file that contains website names
    in my sheet eg
    abc.com
    abc.com/test
    abd.com
    abc.com/hello
    I need to highlight those cells which Matches first 15 letter's
    Answer would be Highly appricated

    thanks

  17. I have a list that is a drop down
    hello
    goodbye
    so sad
    I have a summary column that I just want a numerical value to appear in. So if someone chooses goodbye my summary column would show 2. If someone chose hello is would show 1 etc. What is the formula I should have in the summary column for it to determine this? Lets say the drop down values are in column B2.

  18. Hi, how would you write
    if a range of cells contains L, then add 9.5

  19. I want a function in excel where when I enter "A" as absent in respective Cells for a month then other cells are marked as "P".

  20. any idea how to make formula if I need something like this
    I have few different numbers (example 35413565 , 14451844) nd I need if first number is 3 then text in other column is (ex.YES) or if is 2 then text NO.
    Could someone help ?

  21. =IF(J10="","",(IF(J10>=75%,"HIGH"),(IF="",""(IF(J10,˂49"LOW,"MODERATE"))) my formula dont work

  22. Hi All ,

    I hope everyone is well !

    I currently have the following in a cell =((H21-G21)*24-1)

    this simple formula allows me to count the number of hours between two times ( when working out working hours for my staff)

    I am looking to have this cell note that if a time is not put into the cells ( h21/g21 ) this information is current data validation from another sheet - and instead the word "holiday" is added the cell will generate an automatic number ? is this possible ? any help would be great !

    Out normal working hours for a "holiday is 8 hours" so if the cell says holiday i would like it to default this to "8"

    thanks again

  23. trying to write a formula that will look at 3 inputs and assign a point value.

    i need a formula that will assign 3 points to the highest score, 2 points to the second highest and 1 point for the lowest.

    thanks

  24. I am pulling my hair out on a formula. I have a workbook with 5 tabs ( Gen212, Poe,360 BWS, sample, Production). What would the formula be to have a flow number from tab 5 (production) in column H row 7 automatically populate into tab 3 (360 BWS) in column C row 18?

  25. Can someone help with formulas for the following 2 scenarios:
    1. Groups submitted from the 25th of the previous month
    -For month of February: statement is true if the date is 1/25/19 thru 2/28/19
    2. Groups submitted from the 25th of the current month
    -For month of February: statement is true if the date is 2/25/19 thru 2/28/19
    Thank you!

  26. I have two columns. Column G is my due date and column J says whether I have approved or denied the application. If the due date is in the next 7 days, from today, and the corresponding cell in column J is blank (meaning I have not approved or denied the application) I want the cell in column G to highlight, or the row, to let me know the due date is coming up and I have not taken action on the application yet.

  27. Hello-

    I am in desperate help of trying to figure out an if statement that can help me calculate # of days past due.

    I have a column for start date, end date and actual date of completion. I have a column with a formula for today’s.

    Originally, I used the networkdays formula to calculate the days from due date to today’s date, but when I put in the actual completion date, the past due days keeps updating and I don’t want that.

    Have no idea if that made any sense. But hopefully someone can help me out !!

  28. Hi,
    May i Know how to use TODAY function when my table has different dates,
    Date-1, Date-2,Date-3,
    How to get the same data on one column based on IF Function,
    thanx

  29. Hi,

    I want to write a function that will find alternate minimum value for a range where logical value TRUE equal 1 and the logical value FALSE equals 0, and the text and blanks equals 0.
    Thanks,

  30. G 12 is an unknown which is a value where i keyed in, meanwhile E12 is a value which i obtained through a returned value from another keyed in a value, both G 12 & E 12 multiply each other and should not give you more than 220, if it does, it supposed to print out 220 or else the value is supposed to be the the equation provided,need some help as i am getting errors when executing it

  31. Problem getting IFS formula to work.
    Problem I want the formula to read the cell and if it contains a certain text,then it is to input certain text, and if it is another text,then input another text,if the cell contains a certain text,then input a certain text.

    Example:
    Cell: =IFS(C1="CAR","A.V",C1="NQR",C1="SCAR")
    Formula only regonizes CAR and inputs A.V.,but will not work for other two conditions.

  32. Hi Svetlana,
    How would I write a formula for time zone conversion sample:
    Cell D2 Local Time, E2 is the GMT Conversion and L2 is the Converted TIME Zone
    is it like; =IF (E2=+2), D2+600
    My logic is: The time in L2 is the equivalent of D2+600 if E2 has value of +2
    Hope you could reply.

  33. What my goal is to have a set of cell content only (B4:K6)to empty at 6am daily. Is it possible and if so how do I accomplish this task?

    Thank you.

  34. I'm trying to use this formula for these three qualifiers. Can't get it to work. Any suggestions?
    =IF(AND(ToCSDIncidents[@[Assignment Group Final],"CSD_SERVICES",ToCSDIncidents[@[Reassignment Count]],"0",ToCSDIncidents],ToCSDIncidents[[Exclusion]],""),"TRUE","FALSE"))

  35. =IF( ((G12 * E12) + 14)> 220), 220, ((G12*E12)+14)
    Hi everyone i need help on these if statement on excel, G 12 is an unknown which is a value where i keyed in, meanwhile E12 is a value which i obtained through a returned value from another keyed in a value, both G 12 & E 12 multiply each other and should not give you more than 220, if it does, it supposed to print out 220 or else the value is supposed to be the the equation provided,need some help as i am getting errors when executing it

  36. that looks at the contents of a particular cell (either Global Brokerage or USA Brokerage) and then, depending on Global vs. USA, I want to point to a 1 of 2 cells that contains a percentage. The percentages can change and I do not want to type the actual percent into the formula. I want to point to the % in 1 of 2 cells.

  37. Please assist me as I am trying to create if then function in excel but I don't know how to include if the cell is blank =IF(K2335="eamc","YES","NO") but this statement also put "no" if the cell is blank. how can I make it like if there is no data then it has to be blank as well.
    Thanks

  38. Hello,
    I have tried several ways to do this,please help.
    if A2:21 says complete it equals a % and totals all within
    Thank you

  39. I have an simple If function in B1 for example =IF(A1>=1,"1","0").
    The entry number works if I use it in a =SUM formula horizontally in D1 =SUM(C1-B1). Example: A1 entry is 2, B1 becomes 1. C1 entry is 4, D1 becomes 3. Works great.
    Here is where I run into trouble. I copy formulas vertical example: B2, B3, B4... then attempt a simple SUM formula =SUM(B1:B4) the result is always 0 even if B1 thru B4 all have 1 as a result.

  40. IF Cell A1 IS NOT EQUAL TO Cell B2 or Cell A1 is blank then it is to be considered as Cell C1 data

  41. Hi , may I seek some helps on excel function... is there a way for the excel function to do an automatic recalculation if a defined criteria is not met..like IF B2=5 or less than 5 then goto do recalculation..
    Thanks and best regards

  42. I am trying to setup a formula that looks at the contents of a particular cell (either Global Brokerage or USA Brokerage) and then, depending on Global vs. USA, I want to point to a 1 of 2 cells that contains a percentage. The percentages can change and I do not want to type the actual percent into the formula. I want to point to the % in 1 of 2 cells.

  43. Hello,
    I am trying to add a column of IF statements and the sum will not recognize any number other than 0. My IF function in each cell is:
    =IF(H91>14.9%,"3",
    IF(H91>9%,"2",
    IF(H91>8%,"1",
    IF(H91=0%,"0"))))

    How can I sum this column automatically?
    Thank you.

  44. Hi, can you Help me to solve this, i want to create 'A,B,C and D' for following marks
    A=90 above
    B=80-89
    C=70-79
    D=60-69

    please help me to create the formula using IF function

  45. Hi! I need a formula for the following: If A1 or B1 or C1 or D1 contain "2" then write "True" in cell E1. I would like to know that any of the mentioned cells contain number "2". Thank you for your answer in advance! :)

  46. Hi Everyone,

    i need some help in replacing the column text.
    Scenario: A3 needs to be replaced in new column J3. If it matches with the values in (B3 = H3 AND J3 = C3) when the data between these column matches i need to replace the text value from A3 to J3 else "NA". Can someone please share the logic that would be much appreciated!!

  47. Here is the scenario. I am currently counting down sizes for tshirts once as someone purchases one. I want to say if Any Row 1 to 200 on column D contains an "XL" then minus one from 100. How do i write that? So far i have =IF(D1="XL",E546-1,"") and it is just working for the cell D1 only. I want it work for the entire D column. Please note i have the 100 on E546. Help please

  48. Hello i am struggling on what formula am i going to use in order for me to put the value of a cell using some reference, example,

    if A1 CONTAINS 12345678 THEN PUT B1 ON THIS CELL. Can you understand the situation? please help

  49. I am trying to write an IF statement for a gym membership. Column C5 is the cost of the membership and Column D5 is the extra cost for a locker. If there is a YES in D5, add $75. If NO, no extra cost.

  50. I need something this type of answer in excel.. Please help:
    I want answer as "Sensitive" or "Insensitive" as per the texts in the reffered cell.

    exp: =if(A2= 376/377/376A/376B/376C, "Sensitive", "insensitive") .. hope you get my Idea what I am want in separate cell ?

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