Basic Excel Formulas: The 25 Everyone Should Know
The basic Excel formulas you'll use every week: totals, averages, counting, conditions, lookups, text and dates, with examples and full guides.
By Ayoub Farid · · 3 min read
Excel has more than 500 functions. You need about 25. This page groups them by the job they do, with an example and a link to the full guide for each. If you're brand new, start with the beginner's path, which explains the order.
All examples use this kind of table: A = month or item, B = sales or price, C = costs or quantity, D = category.
Before any formula: three rules
- Every formula starts with
=. - Point at cells (
=B2+B3) instead of typing numbers. See cell references. - Ranges use a colon:
B2:B13means B2 to B13.
Totals and summaries
| Formula | Example | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| SUM | =SUM(B2:B13) | SUM |
| AVERAGE | =AVERAGE(B2:B13) | AVERAGE |
| MIN, MAX | =MAX(B2:B13) | MIN and MAX |
| COUNT, COUNTA | =COUNTA(A2:A13) | COUNT vs COUNTA |
| MEDIAN | =MEDIAN(B2:B13) | MEDIAN |
| ROUND | =ROUND(B2/C2,2) | ROUND |
Simple maths with operators
| Task | Example |
|---|---|
| Profit | =B2-C2 |
| Revenue | =B2*C2 |
| Margin | =(B2-C2)/B2 |
| Percent change | =(B3-B2)/B2 |
| Share of total | =B2/$B$14 |
Guides: percentage formula, percent change, order of operations.
Copying formulas
- Fill down copies a formula and shifts references row by row. See fill down.
- $ locks a reference:
$B$14stays put. See absolute references and mixed references.
Decisions and conditions
| Formula | Example | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| IF | =IF(B2>=5000,"Hit","Miss") | IF |
| AND, OR | =IF(AND(B2>0,C2>0),"OK","Check") | AND and OR |
| COUNTIF | =COUNTIF(D2:D50,"Coffee") | COUNTIF |
| SUMIF | =SUMIF(D2:D50,"Coffee",B2:B50) | SUMIF |
| SUMIFS | =SUMIFS(B2:B50,D2:D50,"Coffee",A2:A50,"Jan") | SUMIFS |
| COUNTIFS | =COUNTIFS(D2:D50,"Coffee",B2:B50,">3") | COUNTIFS |
| IFERROR | =IFERROR(B2/C2,0) | IFERROR |
Lookups
| Formula | Example | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| VLOOKUP | =VLOOKUP(F2,A2:C50,3,FALSE) | VLOOKUP |
| XLOOKUP | =XLOOKUP(F2,A2:A50,C2:C50) | XLOOKUP |
| INDEX/MATCH | =INDEX(C2:C50,MATCH(F2,A2:A50,0)) | INDEX MATCH |
Text
| Formula | Example | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| TRIM | =TRIM(A2) | TRIM |
| Join text | =A2&" "&B2 | CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN |
| LEFT, RIGHT, MID | =LEFT(A2,3) | LEFT, RIGHT, MID |
| TEXT | =TEXT(B2,"$#,##0") | TEXT |
Dates
| Formula | Example | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| TODAY | =TODAY() | TODAY and NOW |
| DATEDIF | =DATEDIF(B2,TODAY(),"y") | DATEDIF |
| NETWORKDAYS | =NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2) | NETWORKDAYS |
Modern Excel (365 and Google Sheets)
UNIQUE, FILTER and SORT return whole lists that spill into neighbouring cells.
Learn them in order
Don't try to memorise this page. Learn them in the order above, one at a time, and write each one yourself a few times. Cellio's lessons do exactly that in two-minute steps: the totals, operators, fill down and $ sections are live now, with conditions and lookups next.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 5 most basic Excel formulas?
SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and COUNT. They all take a range and summarise it.
What is the most used formula in Excel?
SUM is the most common. Among more advanced formulas, VLOOKUP is one of the most searched.
Are basic Excel formulas the same in Google Sheets?
Yes. Every formula on this page works in Google Sheets.
How do I learn Excel formulas quickly?
Learn them in a logical order and practise writing each one from a blank cell for a few minutes a day.