Question 1

Why does COUNTIFS return 0?

Accepted Answer

All conditions must be met in the same row. Check that criteria ranges are the same size and that criteria match data types (text in quotes, numbers with ">50" etc).

Question 2

Do COUNTIFS ranges have to be the same size?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each criteria range must have the same number of rows (and columns). Mismatched range sizes can give wrong counts or errors.

Question 3

Can COUNTIFS count with OR logic?

Accepted Answer

COUNTIFS is AND logic only. For OR, add multiple COUNTIFS: =COUNTIFS(A:A,"X")+COUNTIFS(A:A,"Y"), or use SUMPRODUCT with (condition1)+(condition2).

Question 4

How do I count rows where one column is blank and another is not?

Accepted Answer

Use criteria "" for blank and "<>" for non-blank: =COUNTIFS(A:A,"", B:B,"<>").

Question 5

What is the difference between COUNTIF and COUNTIFS?

Accepted Answer

COUNTIF has one condition; COUNTIFS has multiple criteria_range/criteria pairs. Use COUNTIFS when you need two or more conditions at once.

COUNTIFS Generator - Count with Multiple Criteria | Excel & Sheets

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Common Errors & Fixes

COUNTIFS returns 0 or unexpected count

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