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How to categorize values into buckets in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:IF, IFS & nested conditionsExcel & Google Sheets
=IF(B2<50,"Low",IF(B2<100,"Medium","High"))✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Item | Value | Bucket |
| A | 30 | |
| B | 75 | |
| C | 110 | |
| D | 48 | |
| E | 200 |
=IF(B2<50,"Low",IF(B2<100,"Medium","High"))→Low
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Step by step
- 1Decide on your bucket thresholds (e.g., <50 = Low, 50–99 = Medium, 100+ = High).
- 2In a category column type =IF(B2<50,"Low",IF(B2<100,"Medium","High")) and adjust thresholds to match your data.
- 3Copy down all rows. For many buckets, build a small lookup table and use VLOOKUP with approximate match instead to keep the formula short.
Tips
- For five or more buckets, a VLOOKUP lookup table is far easier to maintain than deeply nested IFs — put the lower bounds and labels in a two-column table and use =VLOOKUP(B2,$E$2:$F$7,2,TRUE).
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Frequently asked
What if some values are negative and some positive?
Just add a condition at the start: =IF(B2<0,"Negative",IF(B2<50,"Low",IF(B2<100,"Medium","High"))).
Can I bucket text values instead of numbers?
Yes — use IFS or nested IF with exact text comparisons or a VLOOKUP with exact match (FALSE).
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