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How to count cells with specific text in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=COUNTIF(A2:A5, "Paid")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Status |
| Paid |
| Unpaid |
| Paid |
| Pending |
=COUNTIF(A2:A5, "Paid")→2
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Sample data — click any cell to edit
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Step by step
- 1A2:A5 is the range to scan.
- 2"Paid" is the text to match.
- 3COUNTIF returns how many cells equal Paid (here, 2).
Tips
- Use wildcards like "*paid*" to count cells that contain the word anywhere.
- For multiple conditions, switch to COUNTIFS.
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Frequently asked
How do I count cells that contain text rather than exactly match it?
Use wildcards: =COUNTIF(A2:A100,"*paid*") counts any cell containing 'paid'.