QUERY WHERE Clause in Google Sheets

The QUERY WHERE clause in Google Sheets filters rows based on conditions you define inside the query string. It works like a row-level filter built into the QUERY function — you set the rules, and WHERE returns only the rows that match. We’ll cover text filters, numeric comparisons, date handling, multiple conditions with AND/OR, and text matching with contains.

In This Guide

• WHERE Clause Syntax
• How to Filter Rows with WHERE: Step-by-Step
• Filter by Text Value
• Filter by Number
• Combine Conditions with AND / OR
• Filter with Contains, Starts With, Ends With
• Filter by Date
• Common WHERE Mistakes
• Tips
• Related Google Sheets Tutorials
• FAQ

WHERE Clause Syntax

WHERE goes inside the query string, after SELECT:

=QUERY(data, "SELECT columns WHERE condition")

The condition compares a column to a value using an operator:

How to Filter Rows with WHERE: Step-by-Step

We’ll use the same sales records table from the QUERY pillar guide. The data is in A1:G11 with 10 transactions.

Sample Data

Your data lives in A1:G11. Row 1 is the header. Columns are Date (A), Salesperson (B), Region (C), Product (D), Units (E), Revenue (F), and Commission (G).

Select an empty cell and enter:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT * WHERE C = 'Hogsmeade'")

This returns all seven columns, but only rows where Region (column C) equals “Hogsmeade”. The result is 4 rows: Ginny Weasley’s Self-Stirring Cauldron, George Weasley’s Sneakoscope, Lee Jordan’s Extendable Ears, and Ginny Weasley’s Deluminator.

Enter a new formula:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE F > 400")

This returns rows where Revenue exceeds $400, showing only the Salesperson, Product, and Revenue columns. Three rows qualify: Lee Jordan’s Remembrall ($525.00), George Weasley’s Sneakoscope ($570.00), and Ginny Weasley’s Nimbus 2000 ($624.75).

Enter:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE C = 'Diagon Alley' AND F > 300")

This returns rows where the region is Diagon Alley AND revenue exceeds $300. Two rows match: Lee Jordan’s Remembrall ($525.00) and Fred Weasley’s Omnioculars ($325.00).

Filter by Text Value

Exact text matches use the = operator with single quotes:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE B = 'Fred Weasley'")

This returns Fred Weasley’s 4 transactions from the 10-row dataset. The text match is case-sensitive — 'fred weasley' returns nothing.

To exclude a specific value, use !=:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT * WHERE C != 'Hogwarts'")

This returns all rows except the two Hogwarts transactions.

Filter by Number

Numeric comparisons do not use quotes around the value:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, E WHERE E >= 15")

This returns rows where Units (column E) is 15 or more. Four rows qualify: Lee Jordan’s 15 Remembralls, George Weasley’s 20 Sneakoscopes, Ginny Weasley’s 25 Nimbus 2000s, and Fred Weasley’s 30 Quaffles.

To filter a range of values, combine two conditions:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE F >= 300 AND F <= 500")

This returns transactions between $300 and $500 in revenue.

Combine Conditions with AND / OR

AND (all conditions must be true)

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE C = 'Hogsmeade' AND F > 400")

Returns Hogsmeade transactions with revenue over $400. One row matches: George Weasley’s Sneakoscope ($570.00).

OR (any condition can be true)

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, C, F WHERE C = 'Hogwarts' OR C = 'Hogsmeade'")

Returns all transactions from either Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. Six rows match.

Combining AND and OR

Use parentheses to group conditions:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, C, F WHERE (C = 'Diagon Alley' OR C = 'Hogsmeade') AND F > 400")

This returns rows from Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade where revenue exceeds $400. Two rows match: Lee Jordan’s Remembrall ($525.00) from Diagon Alley and George Weasley’s Sneakoscope ($570.00) from Hogsmeade.

The logic follows the same patterns as IF with AND and OR — AND narrows results, OR broadens them.

Filter with Contains, Starts With, Ends With

QUERY WHERE supports partial text matching with three keywords:

Contains Example

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D, F WHERE B contains 'Weasley'")

This returns every row where the Salesperson name includes “Weasley.” Seven rows match — all transactions by Fred, Ginny, or George Weasley.

Starts With Example

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, D WHERE D starts with 'S'")

This returns products that start with the letter S: Self-Stirring Cauldron and Sneakoscope.

Filter by Date

Dates in QUERY WHERE need the date keyword and YYYY-MM-DD format:

=QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT B, A, F WHERE A > date '2026-01-15'")

This returns transactions after January 15, 2026. Four rows from the 10-row dataset qualify: Fred Weasley (1/18/2026), George Weasley (1/20/2026), Ginny Weasley (1/22/2026), and Lee Jordan (no — he is 1/15, which is not after).

The actual matching rows are: Fred Weasley 1/18/2026 ($269.97), George Weasley 1/20/2026 ($336.00), and Ginny Weasley 1/22/2026 ($330.00).

Common WHERE Mistakes

Missing single quotes around text values

WHERE C = Hogsmeade breaks because QUERY interprets Hogsmeade as a column name. The fix: WHERE C = 'Hogsmeade' with single quotes.

Using double quotes inside the query string

The query string is already inside double quotes, so using double quotes for text values causes a syntax error. Use single quotes for text values inside WHERE.

Case mismatch on text comparisons

WHERE B = 'fred weasley' returns no results when the data contains “Fred Weasley.” QUERY WHERE is case-sensitive. Either match the exact case or use lower(): WHERE lower(B) = 'fred weasley'.

Forgetting the date keyword

WHERE A > '2026-01-15' compares dates as text strings, which gives wrong results. Use WHERE A > date '2026-01-15' with the date keyword.

Wrong column letter

Column letters in the query string must match the columns in your data range. If your range is A1:G11, then A is the first column. If your range starts at C1, then C is the first column in the query. Double-check that you are referencing the correct column.

Tips

1. Start with SELECT * to see all columns. Once you confirm your WHERE condition returns the right rows, narrow the SELECT to the columns you need.

2. Use cell references for dynamic filtering. Instead of hardcoding a value, reference a cell: =QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT * WHERE C = '"&I1&"'"). This lets you change the filter by editing cell I1. The concatenation ('"&I1&"') inserts single quotes around the cell value.

3. Chain WHERE with other clauses. WHERE combines with SELECT, GROUP BY, ORDER BY, and LIMIT. For example: "SELECT C, SUM(F) WHERE F > 200 GROUP BY C" filters first, then groups. WHERE always runs before GROUP BY.

Related Google Sheets Tutorials

• QUERY Function: Complete Guide — covers all QUERY clauses with syntax and examples
• QUERY SELECT — choose specific columns and reorder the output
• QUERY GROUP BY — summarize and aggregate data with SUM, COUNT, and AVG
• IF with AND / OR — same AND/OR logic applied to IF statements

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you filter rows with QUERY WHERE in Google Sheets?

Add a WHERE clause to your QUERY string. For example, =QUERY(A1:G11, "SELECT * WHERE F > 400") returns only rows where column F exceeds 400. Text values need single quotes: WHERE C = 'Hogsmeade'.

Is QUERY WHERE case-sensitive in Google Sheets?

Yes. Text comparisons in QUERY WHERE are case-sensitive. WHERE B = 'fred weasley' returns no results if the data contains “Fred Weasley”. Use the lower() function to make comparisons case-insensitive: WHERE lower(B) = 'fred weasley'.

Can you use QUERY WHERE with multiple conditions?

Yes. Use AND to require all conditions: WHERE C = 'Diagon Alley' AND F > 300. Use OR to match any condition: WHERE C = 'Hogwarts' OR C = 'Hogsmeade'. You can combine AND and OR with parentheses.

How do you filter text that contains a word in QUERY?

Use the contains keyword: WHERE B contains 'Weasley' returns every row where column B includes the word Weasley anywhere in the cell. It is case-sensitive.

How do you use QUERY WHERE with dates?

Use the date keyword with the format YYYY-MM-DD in single quotes. For example: WHERE A > date '2026-01-15' returns rows where the date in column A is after January 15, 2026.