Boost your spreadsheet skills with powerful formulas like ARRAYFORMULA, QUERY, and IMPORTRANGE!
Introduction
Google Sheets is more than just rows and columns—it’s a powerful tool for data management, automation, and analysis.
By mastering key functions like:
✅ ARRAYFORMULA – Automate formulas across entire columns 📊
✅ QUERY – Perform SQL-like data filtering & sorting 🔍
✅ IMPORTRANGE – Pull data from different spreadsheets 🔗
…you can save time and increase productivity. Let’s dive in! 🚀
1. ARRAYFORMULA – Apply Formulas to an Entire Column
📌 What It Does:
Instead of dragging a formula down manually, ARRAYFORMULA applies it to an entire range at once.
✅ Example: Auto Calculate Totals
Let’s say you have Unit Price (A) and Quantity (B) in a sheet. Normally, you’d enter:
=A2*B2
…then drag it down.
With ARRAYFORMULA, use:
=ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A * B2:B)
✅ The formula fills all rows automatically!
📌 Bonus: Combine it with IF to avoid errors:
=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A2:A="", "", A2:A * B2:B))
🚀 Why Use It?: Saves time and auto-updates when new data is added!
2. QUERY – The Most Powerful Google Sheets Function
📌 What It Does:
The QUERY function lets you filter, sort, and analyze data using SQL-like commands.
✅ Example: Filter Sales Over $500
If you have a sales table in A:C (with headers: Name, Item, Sales), use:
=QUERY(A:C, "SELECT A, B, C WHERE C > 500", 1)
✅ This extracts only rows where Sales > $500.
📌 More Examples:
🔹 Sort Data:
=QUERY(A:C, "SELECT * ORDER BY C DESC", 1)
(Sorts by highest sales)
🔹 Show Only Unique Names:
=QUERY(A:C, "SELECT DISTINCT A", 1)
(Extracts unique names from column A)
🚀 Why Use It?: It replaces multiple filters, sorts, and formulas!
3. IMPORTRANGE – Connect Data from Other Google Sheets
📌 What It Does:
IMPORTRANGE pulls data from another Google Sheet dynamically.
✅ Example: Import Sales Data from Another File
=IMPORTRANGE("URL_of_Source_Sheet", "Sheet1!A1:C100")
✅ This brings in data from Sheet1 (A1:C100) in another file.
📌 Bonus: Combine with QUERY!
=QUERY(IMPORTRANGE("URL_of_Source_Sheet", "Sheet1!A:C"), "SELECT A, B WHERE C > 1000", 1)
🚀 Why Use It?: Connects multiple sheets without copy-pasting!
4. UNIQUE – Remove Duplicates Instantly
📌 What It Does:
Extracts only unique values from a column.
✅ Example: List Unique Customers
=UNIQUE(A2:A)
✅ If column A has duplicate names, this returns only one of each.
🚀 Why Use It?: No need for manual Remove Duplicates!
5. FILTER – Dynamic Filtering Without QUERY
📌 What It Does:
Filters data based on conditions.
✅ Example: Show Only High Sales ($500+)
=FILTER(A:C, C:C > 500)
✅ This shows only rows where Sales > $500.
🚀 Why Use It?: Easier than manual filters, updates automatically!
6. SPLIT – Break Text into Multiple Columns
📌 What It Does:
Splits text into separate cells based on a delimiter.
✅ Example: Split Full Name into First & Last Name
=SPLIT(A2, " ")
✅ If A2 = "John Doe", the result will be:
| B2 | C2 |
|---|---|
| John | Doe |
🚀 Why Use It?: No need for Text-to-Columns manually!
7. JOIN – Merge Multiple Cells into One
📌 What It Does:
Joins multiple values into one cell.
✅ Example: Combine First & Last Names
=JOIN(" ", B2, C2)
✅ If B2 = "John" and C2 = "Doe", the result is “John Doe”.
🚀 Why Use It?: Useful for merging lists or creating full names!
8. TEXTJOIN – Advanced Joining with Conditions
📌 What It Does:
Works like JOIN, but allows ignoring blank cells.
✅ Example: Combine Emails into One Cell, Skipping Blanks
=TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:A10)
✅ This merges emails in A2:A10 into one string, skipping blanks.
🚀 Why Use It?: Best for creating mailing lists!
9. LEN – Count Characters in a Cell
📌 What It Does:
Counts the number of characters in a cell.
✅ Example: Check Password Length
=LEN(A2)
🚀 Why Use It?: Useful for text length validation.
10. SUBSTITUTE – Replace Text Inside a Cell
📌 What It Does:
Replaces specific words or characters inside a cell.
✅ Example: Replace “Old” with “New”
=SUBSTITUTE(A2, "Old", "New")
🚀 Why Use It?: Great for fixing typos in bulk!
Conclusion: Master These Google Sheets Functions Today!
By learning these powerful functions, you can:
✅ Automate calculations with ARRAYFORMULA
✅ Filter & analyze data with QUERY & FILTER
✅ Connect sheets with IMPORTRANGE
✅ Clean & merge text using SPLIT, JOIN, and SUBSTITUTE
🚀 Next Steps:
🔹 Want to build interactive dashboards? Learn Pivot Tables & Charts!
🔹 Need to automate repetitive tasks? Try Google Apps Script!