Appendix
Discover how to use essential Google Sheets formulas to perform calculations, apply logic, manipulate text, manage dates, conduct lookups, and aggregate data conditionally. This lesson equips you with practical formula examples and tips to automate and improve your spreadsheet workflows, helping you analyze data efficiently and accurately.
Google Sheets formulas allow you to perform calculations, analyze data, and automate repetitive tasks directly inside a spreadsheet. From simple totals to more advanced logic, formulas are what turn a spreadsheet into a powerful data tool.
This appendix presents a curated set of commonly used Google Sheets formulas. Each formula is demonstrated with a practical example so you can quickly understand how it works and what kind of result it produces.
Use this appendix as a quick reference while working through exercises or projects; it’s designed to help you recall formulas without needing to memorize every detail.
Formula basics (quick refresher)
Google Sheets formulas let you perform calculations and dynamically manipulate data. Every formula begins with an equals sign (=), which tells the spreadsheet to evaluate the expression in the cell.
Formulas rely on cell references, which indicate the data they use. There are three main types:
Relative references like
A1change automatically if you copy the formula to another cell.Absolute references like
$A$1remain fixed, even when copied.Mixed references like
$A1orA$1lock either the row or the column while letting the other adjust.
Functions are a common way to use formulas. The general syntax looks like this:
=FUNCTION_NAME(argument1, argument2, …)
Here, FUNCTION_NAME is the name of the operation (like SUM or AVERAGE), and the arguments tell it what data to use.
A simple example is a formula that sums a range of numbers:
This adds all values in cells A2 through A6 and displays the result in the cell where the formula is entered. One advantage of using formulas is that the result updates automatically whenever the input values change, saving time and reducing errors compared to manual calculations.
Mathematical and aggregation formulas
Mathematical and aggregation formulas help you summarize and analyze data quickly. Whether you need totals, averages, or counts, these formulas let you process information without manual calculations, saving time and reducing errors.
One of the most common formulas is SUM which we have seen above, but to calculate the average, use AVERAGE:
It computes the mean of the values in C2 through C7, helping you track performance metrics or trends over time.
Finding extremes in your data is easy with MIN and MAX:
=MIN(D2:D7)=MAX(D2:D7)
MIN returns the smallest number, while MAX returns the largest. For example, you can quickly identify the lowest and highest priced in items in a dataset.
Counting values is just as simple. COUNT ...