Math
How many cells are filled
Definition
Counting filled cells, numbers and text alike, means giving COUNTA the range to scan.
Syntax
=COUNTA(range)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
range |
The block of cells to scan for any value, such as A2:A5. |
Worked example
A packing list records items in A2:A5. One row is still empty.
| A: Item |
|---|
| pen |
| ink |
| pad |
Formula: =COUNTA(A2:A5)
Result: 3. pen, ink, and pad are filled, and the empty row is skipped.
Practice
Cells C2:C5 hold 2, ok, 5, and no. In D2, write a formula that counts how many of those cells are filled.
- In D2, write a COUNTA formula for C2:C5.
- D2 should show how many filled cells are in C2:C5.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =COUNTA(C2:C5) in D2.
2, ok, 5, and no are all filled, so the count is 4.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
D2 uses COUNTA.
D2 now shows 4.
The next lesson is How many cells are empty.
Related functions
COUNTA is the function that counts every filled cell in the range.
Common mistake
Stopping the range early, as in =COUNTA(A2:A4): pad in A5 is missed, so the count is 2 instead of 3.