Google Sheets IF Function: Complete Guide

The IF function in Google Sheets tests a condition and returns different values based on whether that condition is true or false. It’s the foundation of every logical formula in Sheets, once you understand IF, functions like COUNTIF, SUMIF, and IFS all make more sense.

This guide covers the IF function syntax, walks through real examples with sales data, and shows how to combine IF with AND, OR, and nested conditions.

In This Guide

• IF Function Syntax
• How to Use IF in Google Sheets: Step-by-Step
• IF Function Examples
• Nested IF Statements
• IF with AND and OR
• Common IF Function Errors
• Tips and Best Practices
• Related Google Sheets Tutorials
• FAQ

IF Function Syntax

The IF function takes three arguments:

The condition can use any comparison operator:

How to Use IF in Google Sheets: Step-by-Step

We’ll use a sales records table to determine which transactions qualify for a bonus. Any sale with revenue over $400 earns a bonus.

Watch this formula built and filled down a column (1:09)

Sample Data

You need a column with values to evaluate. In this table, column F (Revenue) contains the values we’ll check. Select cell H2, that’s where the IF result will go.

Type the following formula in cell H2:

This checks whether the revenue in F2 is greater than 400. If true, it returns “Bonus”. If false, it returns “No Bonus”.

Press Enter. Cell H2 shows “No Bonus” because F2 contains $239.88, which is less than 400.

Select H2 and drag the fill handle down through H7. Each row evaluates its own revenue value. Rows with revenue over $400 show “Bonus” and the rest show “No Bonus”.

IF Function Examples

Example 1: Label Performance Tiers

You want to label each sale as “Top Seller” when revenue exceeds $500, or “Standard” otherwise.

For row 7 where Irene Adler sold a Magnifying Glass for $624.75, this returns “Top Seller”. For row 2 where Sherlock Holmes sold a Listening Device for $239.88, it returns “Standard”.

Example 2: Check for Empty Cells

Before running calculations on a column, you might need to check whether cells contain data.

If cell A2 is empty, this returns “Missing”. If A2 has a value, it returns that value as-is. This is useful for flagging incomplete records in a shared spreadsheet.

Example 3: Return a Calculated Value

IF doesn’t have to return text. It can return numbers, formulas, or calculations.

This creates a tiered commission: 10% commission on sales with more than 10 units, and 5% on smaller sales. For row 4 where Inspector Lestrade sold 15 Pocket Watches for $525.00, this returns $52.50 (10% rate). For row 5 where Sherlock Holmes sold 5 Field Binoculars for $325.00, it returns $16.25 (5% rate).

Nested IF Statements

When you need more than two outcomes, nest one IF inside another. Each IF handles one condition, and the false branch passes control to the next IF.

Watch tiers built with a nested IF (3:37)

This creates three tiers:

• Revenue $500 or more → “High”
• Revenue $300 to $499 → “Medium”
• Revenue under $300 → “Low”

For Irene Adler’s $624.75 Magnifying Glass sale, this returns “High”. For Sherlock Holmes’s $239.88 Listening Device sale, it returns “Low”.

For a deeper walkthrough with more complex examples, see our guide on nested IF statements in Google Sheets.

IF with AND and OR

Combine IF with AND or OR to test multiple conditions at once.

Watch AND and OR inside one IF (6:27)

IF with AND (all conditions must be true)

AND returns TRUE only when every condition inside it is true.

This checks two things: the region is Baker Street AND revenue exceeds $300. Both must be true to return “Priority”. For Sherlock Holmes’s $325.00 Field Binoculars sale in Baker Street, this returns “Priority”. For his $239.88 Listening Device sale (also Baker Street but under $300), it returns “Standard”.

IF with OR (any condition can be true)

OR returns TRUE when at least one condition is true.

This checks whether the region is Whitehall OR Scotland Yard. Either one returns “Campus”. Any other region returns “Off-Campus”. For Irene Adler’s Whitehall sale, this returns “Campus”. For Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Street sale, it returns “Off-Campus”.

For more patterns including combined AND/OR conditions, see the full guide on IF with AND and OR.

Common IF Function Errors

Watch the three ways the condition lies to you (2:10)

Watch IFERROR catch what is left (10:01)

Empty String vs. FALSE

If you write =IF(A1>100, "Yes") without a third argument, the false result is the boolean value FALSE, not a blank cell. This can break formulas that reference the cell later.

Fix it by always including the third argument:

The empty string "" displays as a blank cell and doesn’t interfere with other formulas.

Text in a Number Comparison Passes Silently

Comparing text to a number does not error, and that is the trap. Google Sheets sorts every text value above every number, so the comparison quietly comes out TRUE:

This returns “Yes”, with no error. In real data that behavior is dangerous: one text entry like “Pending” or “N/A” in a numeric column makes every > test on that cell pass. A sanity check with MAX will not catch it either, because MAX skips text entirely.

To guard a numeric test against text, require a number as part of the condition:

#VALUE! Error

Arithmetic on text is what actually errors. ="hello"+100 returns #VALUE!, and so does any IF whose condition or result branch does math on a text value. If an IF formula shows #VALUE!, look for a calculation touching a cell that holds text, not for a comparison.

Text Comparisons Are Not Case-Sensitive

=IF(A1="apple", "Found", "Not found") returns “Found” for “apple”, “APPLE”, and “Apple”. IF treats all three as equal.

If you need case-sensitive matching:

The EXACT function compares two strings with case sensitivity, and the IF function acts on the result.

Comparing Dates

Dates in Google Sheets are numbers. You can compare them directly:

Use the DATE function to create a date value for comparison. Don’t compare against a text string like “1/15/2026”, it will work sometimes but fail when date formats differ.

Tips and Best Practices

1. Always include the third argument. Omitting value_if_false returns the boolean FALSE, which displays as “FALSE” in the cell and confuses other formulas. Use "" for a blank cell or 0 for zero.

2. Keep nesting under 3 levels. =IF(A, X, IF(B, Y, IF(C, Z, W))) is about as deep as you should go. Beyond that, switch to IFS or SWITCH.

   Watch the same ladder in IFS and SWITCH (5:08)

3. IF is not case-sensitive. For case-sensitive text checks, wrap the condition in EXACT().

4. Use absolute references when copying down. If your formula references a fixed threshold (like a target in cell B1), lock it with $B$1 so it doesn’t shift when you drag the formula down.

5. Combine with IFERROR for cleaner results. =IFERROR(IF(...), "Error") catches any unexpected issues and returns a clean fallback value.

Related Google Sheets Tutorials

• Nested IF Statements in Google Sheets: Handle 3 or more outcomes by stacking IF functions inside each other
• IFS Function in Google Sheets: Check multiple conditions without nesting, cleaner than nested IF for 4+ outcomes
• IF with AND / OR in Google Sheets: Test multiple conditions at once using AND (all must be true) or OR (any can be true)
• COUNTIF and COUNTIFS Guide: Count cells that match one or more conditions
• SUMIF and SUMIFS Guide: Add up values that match specific criteria
• IFERROR in Google Sheets: Catch errors and return a clean fallback value
• SWITCH Function Guide: Compare one value against a list of cases, cleaner than nested IF for exact matches
• IF with Checkboxes: Drive formulas from TRUE/FALSE checkbox values
• VLOOKUP Complete Guide: Look up values from a table, often combined with IF for conditional lookups