Add formulas & functions

Want advanced Google Workspace features for your business?

You can use functions and formulas to automate calculations in Google Sheets.

Tip: If you’re already familiar with functions and formulas and just need to know which ones are available, go to Google Sheets function reference.

Add formulas and functions to a spreadsheet

To get an example spreadsheet and follow along with the video, click “Make a Copy” below.

Make a copy

Use a formula

Open a spreadsheet.
Type an equal sign (=) in a cell and type in the function you want to use.

Note: You may see suggested formulas and ranges based on your data.

A function help box will be visible throughout the editing process to provide you with a definition of the function and its syntax, as well as an example for reference. If you need more information, click the “Learn more” link at the bottom of the help box to open a full article.

Tip: You might get suggestions to help you complete formulas with the relevant functions. You can accept or reject these suggestions.

To turn formula suggestions on or off, at the top, click Tools Suggestion controls Enable formula suggestions.

You might find correction suggestions in previously compiled data and analyses, to improve confidence in insights. You can accept or reject these suggestions.

To turn formula corrections on or off, at the top, click Tools Suggestion controls Enable formula corrections.

Additional features for creating formulas

Simple ways to select and edit ranges

Range-selection mode

When editing a formula, the range-selection signal (a grey bracket) will appear next to your cursor where you’re likely to need a range in the formula. When you see the signal, you can move the keyboard arrows around your sheet to select a range.
Toggle this mode on and off using the keyboard shortcuts F2 or Ctrl + e. If range-selection mode is turned off, use the arrow keys to move your cursor inside the input box instead of selecting a range.
You can also click within the sheet to select a range when editing a formula.

Range replacement

When you have the text of a range highlighted in your formula, use F2 or Ctrl + e to enter range-selection mode and easily make adjustments to the range.
If you press Shift + F2 or Shift + Ctrl + e while editing the text of a range, you can easily make adjustments to all occurrences of that range in the formula.

Tip: You can also select ranges for your formula that are non-adjacent. To select multiple cells, click and hold Ctrl on your keyboard (Cmd on a Mac) as you select the cells you want to include in the formula.

Formula corrections

If there are errors after you apply a formula to a range, a "Formula correction" box may appear with a suggested fix.

To accept or reject suggestions, you can

Click Accept or Dismiss .
Press Crtl + Enter or Cmd + Return (on a Mac).

To turn Formula correction on or off:

At the top left, click Tools Autocomplete.
Click Enable formula corrections.

Nested functions

A function used in the same cell with another function is called a nested function. When functions are combined, Google Sheets will calculate the innermost function first. The nested function is contained in parentheses and is used as one of the components of the surrounding function.

For example, let's say you want to calculate the absolute value of a sum of several numbers in the cell range A1:A7. To calculate the sum of these numbers, you would enter '=SUM(A1:A7)' into a cell.

To calculate the absolute value of this sum, you need to nest the sum formula within absolute value formula. To calculate both formulas in a single cell, enter '=ABS(SUM(A1:A7))' into the cell. Note that the =SUM() function is performed first and is used as a component in the =ABS() function.

Formula highlighting

When you reference other cells in a formula, those cells will be highlighted in contrasting colors to help you more easily build a formula. When you click on a cell that contains a completed formula, you'll also see these cells highlighted.

Change the formula bar size

To make the formula bar bigger or smaller, click the bottom of it, then drag it up or down.

Note: You can also use keyboard shortcuts to change the size. Click the formula bar, then click:

PC: Ctrl + Up and Ctrl + Down
Mac: Ctrl + Option + Up and Ctrl + Option + Down

Functions that don't work

Some functions from other spreadsheet programs don't work in Sheets.

Type	Description
CALL	Calls a dynamic link library or code resource. Since this resource might not be available on all devices, Sheets doesn’t use this function. Tip: You can use macros or Apps Script instead.
CUBE functions (CUBEKPIMEMBER, CUBEMEMBER, CUBEMEMBERPROPERTY)	Lets you use Excel’s CUBE data model. Tip: If you want to use similar CUBEs, you can use the Data Connectors feature.
INFO	Returns information about the Sheets document file, such as its filepath. Note: Because Sheets emphasizes online collaboration, much of the information from this method may not be available or the most transparent to all users.
REGISTER.ID	Gets the registry ID from Windows. Note: Since Sheets isn’t linked to any one operating system, this function isn’t supported.
RTD	Gets data from a Component Object Model (COM) Automation server. Tip: Since everyone can’t get to the COM server, you can use macros or Apps Script.
WEBSERVICE	Relies on Windows to work fully. Note: Since Sheets isn’t linked to any one operating system, this function isn’t supported.