Syntax
COUNTA(value1, [value2, ...])
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| value1 | Parameter of the COUNTA function. |
| [value2 | (Optional.) Parameter of the COUNTA function. |
| ...] | Parameter of the COUNTA function. |
Examples
Count non-empty cells
Formula
=COUNTA(A2:A500)
Returns: 234 — the number of cells that are not blank in the range
Find the last row of data
Formula
=COUNTA(A:A)
Returns: 501 — total non-empty cells in column A (including the header), useful for dynamic ranges
Percentage of fields filled
Formula
=COUNTA(B2:B100)/ROWS(B2:B100)
Returns: 0.87 — 87% of cells in the range have data
Common Errors
Overcounts
COUNTA counts cells with formulas that return "" (empty string) as non-empty. These look blank but are not truly empty.
Tips
Formulas returning "" count as non-empty
A cell with =IF(A1>0, A1, "") appears blank but COUNTA counts it. Use SUMPRODUCT(1*(B2:B100<>"")) instead.
Dynamic named ranges
Use COUNTA to create dynamic ranges: =OFFSET(A1, 0, 0, COUNTA(A:A), 1) expands as data grows.
Count text only
To count only text cells (no numbers): =SUMPRODUCT(ISTEXT(A2:A100)*1).
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