Counting function

Excel COUNTIF function

Q: How do I count cells with specific text in Excel?

Use =COUNTIF(range,"text"). To count cells that contain the text anywhere, use wildcards: =COUNTIF(range,"*text*").

COUNTIF counts the cells in a range that meet one condition. Use it to count orders from one region, scores above a pass mark, or tasks marked "Done". For more than one condition, use COUNTIFS.

=COUNTIF(range, criteria)

Arguments

range: The cells to check.
criteria: The condition, like "Done", 50, ">=70" or "A*". Text and operators go in quotes.

COUNTIF examples

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

	A	B	C	D
1	Task	Owner	Status	Hours
2	Write brief	Kim	Done	3
3	Design logo	Raj	In progress	8
4	Draft copy	Kim	Done	5
5	Build page	Alex	Not started	12
6	QA review	Raj	Done	2
7	Launch email	Kim	In progress	4

=COUNTIF(C2:C7,"Done")
Result: 3
How many tasks are finished. The match is not case-sensitive.
=COUNTIF(D2:D7,">=5")
Result: 3
Put the operator and number in quotes to count tasks of 5 hours or more.
=COUNTIF(C2:C7,"<>Done")
Result: 3
"<>" means not equal to, so this counts everything still open.
=COUNTIF(A2:A7,"D*")
Result: 2
The * wildcard matches any characters, so this counts tasks starting with D.

How to use COUNTIF

Click an empty cell.
Type =COUNTIF( and select the range to check.
Type a comma and the condition in quotes, like "Done".
Close the bracket and press Enter.

Common COUNTIF mistakes

Operator outside the quotes

Write ">=5", not >="5" or >=5. The whole condition is one text string.

Comparing to a cell value

Join the operator to the cell with &: COUNTIF(D2:D7,">"&F1). Writing ">F1" looks for the text F1.

Extra spaces in the data

"Done " with a trailing space does not match "Done". Clean the data with TRIM or use "Done*".

COUNTIF FAQ

How do I count cells with specific text in Excel?

Use =COUNTIF(range,"text"). To count cells that contain the text anywhere, use wildcards: =COUNTIF(range,"*text*").

How do I use COUNTIF with multiple criteria?

Use COUNTIFS, which takes pairs of ranges and conditions. For an OR condition, add two COUNTIFs together.

Is COUNTIF case-sensitive?

No. "done", "Done" and "DONE" all match. Use SUMPRODUCT with EXACT if you need a case-sensitive count.

Why is my COUNTIF returning 0?

Common causes are extra spaces, numbers stored as text, or the operator placed outside the quotes. Test one cell with = to see if it really matches.

Practice COUNTIF in these lessons

Guides that use COUNTIF

Related functions

Updated October 31, 2026