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Counting function

Excel COUNTA function

COUNTA counts how many cells in a range are not empty. Text, numbers, dates, TRUE/FALSE and even errors all count. Use it to see how many people replied, how many rows have data, or how many tasks have an owner.

=COUNTA(value1, [value2], ...)

Arguments

value1
The first cell, range or value to count.
value2
Optional. More cells or ranges, up to 255.

COUNTA examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

ABCD
1GuestRSVPMealPlus one
2Hannah LeeYesFish1
3Marcus WebbNo
4Sofia RuizYesVeg0
5Ian Park
6Grace KimYesBeef2
  1. =COUNTA(A2:A6)

    Result: 5

    The number of guests on the list.

  2. =COUNTA(B2:B6)

    Result: 4

    How many guests have replied. Ian has not, so his blank cell is skipped.

  3. =COUNTA(D2:D6)

    Result: 3

    A 0 is still an entry, so Sofia's row counts.

  4. =COUNTA(A2:A6)-COUNTA(B2:B6)

    Result: 1

    Guests who still need to reply.

How to use COUNTA

  1. Click an empty cell.
  2. Type =COUNTA(
  3. Select the range to check.
  4. Close the bracket and press Enter.

Common COUNTA mistakes

Cells that only look empty

A space, or a formula returning "", counts as an entry. Clear the cell fully, or use COUNTIF(range,"?*") to count only real text.

Using it to count numbers only

COUNTA counts text too. Use COUNT if you only want numeric cells.

Including the header row

COUNTA(A:A) counts the header as well. Subtract 1 or start the range at row 2.

COUNTA FAQ

Why is COUNTA counting blank cells?

Those cells are not truly empty. They may hold a space or a formula that returns "". Select one and check the formula bar.

How do I count cells with text in Excel?

Use =COUNTIF(range,"*") to count text only. COUNTA counts text and numbers together.

What is the difference between COUNTA and COUNTBLANK?

COUNTA counts filled cells. COUNTBLANK counts empty ones. Together they add up to the size of the range.

Practice COUNTA in these lessons

Guides that use COUNTA

Related functions

Updated