AND and OR functions

What you will build

Flag orders that are both paid and large, or that meet either criterion. This lesson uses fictional sample data so you can reproduce each action.

Learning objective

Complete the steps using the dataset below, explain why the feature or formula is used, and recognize issues when inputs change.

Prepare the sample data

Paste this example as tab-separated values beginning at A1 on a new worksheet:

HANDS-ON PRACTICE

Practice in your own copy

Make your own Google Sheets copy with the same data, formulas, formatting, filter and frozen header. The original remains unchanged.

Make a Google Sheets copy (access required) ↗View original

Sign in to Google. If the original is not publicly shared, download the full workbook and import it into Google Sheets, or paste the example data into your own sheet.

Complete sample table in Google Sheets before entering the AND and OR formulas.

Open the sample workbook in Google Drive (access required) ↗

Work through the example

Step 1: Create two labels: All conditions and Any condition.

Step 2: Enter AND in H2 and OR in H3 to compare the same first data row. H2 must be FALSE; H3 must be TRUE.

Formula to try

=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Cell H2 selected with the AND formula visible and FALSE returned for Status = Paid, Amount = 120.

How this formula works=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Overall meaning of the whole formula
- Return TRUE only when both conditions are true: F2 equals "Paid" and E2 is at least 200.
AND(logical_expression1, [logical_expression2, ...])
- `logical_expression1` is required; it accepts a TRUE/FALSE expression. In this lesson the argument passed is `F2="Paid"`.
- `logical_expression2, ...` is optional; it accepts additional TRUE/FALSE expressions that must all be TRUE. In this lesson the argument passed is `E2>=200`.
Whole-expression evaluation
- F2="Paid" is TRUE because F2 is Paid.
- E2>=200 is FALSE because E2 = 120.
- AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE, so H2 returns FALSE.
Why the displayed final result appears
- AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE, so H2 returns FALSE.
- The final output must be read against the lesson’s visible sample data; this explanation does not change the formula, references, or criteria used in the lesson.

=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Cell H3 selected with the OR formula visible and TRUE returned for Status = Paid, Amount = 120.

How this formula works=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Overall meaning of the whole formula
- Return TRUE when at least one condition is true: F2 equals "Paid" or E2 is at least 200.
OR(logical_expression1, [logical_expression2, ...])
- `logical_expression1` is required; it accepts a TRUE/FALSE expression. In this lesson the argument passed is `F2="Paid"`.
- `logical_expression2, ...` is optional; it accepts additional TRUE/FALSE expressions where any TRUE is sufficient. In this lesson the argument passed is `E2>=200`.
Whole-expression evaluation
- F2="Paid" is TRUE.
- E2>=200 is FALSE.
- OR needs at least one TRUE condition, so H3 returns TRUE.
Why the displayed final result appears
- OR needs at least one TRUE condition, so H3 returns TRUE.
- The final output must be read against the lesson’s visible sample data; this explanation does not change the formula, references, or criteria used in the lesson.

Checkpoint

Formula	Verified result
=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)	FALSE
=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)	TRUE

Both formulas use the same row-2 inputs: Status = Paid and Amount = 120.

Input-change check: keep F2 = Paid and change Amount in E2 from 120 to 220. AND changes from FALSE to TRUE, while OR stays TRUE. Restore E2 to 120 before comparing with the checkpoint.

Common mistake and correction

Correction: select H2 or H3, read the formula in the formula bar, confirm both use F2 and E2, then recheck the row-2 Status and Amount values.

Independent practice

After following the example, complete this variation without editing the source data: Wrap AND in IF to display Review or Skip without changing its underlying test.

Key takeaways

✓AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE; OR needs at least one TRUE condition.
✓Both formulas must test the same data row for the comparison to be meaningful.
✓With Status = Paid and Amount = 120 in row 2, AND returns FALSE while OR returns TRUE.
✓If only Amount changes from 120 to 220 while Status stays Paid, AND flips to TRUE and OR stays TRUE.
✓When a result is wrong, inspect the cell references and source values instead of typing over the formula result.

Continue learning

Previous lesson: IFERROR function; Next lesson: FILTER function.

What you will build

Flag orders that are both paid and large, or that meet either criterion. This lesson uses fictional sample data so you can reproduce each action.

Learning objective

Complete the steps using the dataset below, explain why the feature or formula is used, and recognize issues when inputs change.

Prepare the sample data

Paste this example as tab-separated values beginning at A1 on a new worksheet:

HANDS-ON PRACTICE

Practice in your own copy

Make your own Google Sheets copy with the same data, formulas, formatting, filter and frozen header. The original remains unchanged.

Make a Google Sheets copy (access required) ↗View original

Sign in to Google. If the original is not publicly shared, download the full workbook and import it into Google Sheets, or paste the example data into your own sheet.

Open the sample workbook in Google Drive (access required) ↗

Work through the example

Step 1: Create two labels: All conditions and Any condition.

Step 2: Enter AND in H2 and OR in H3 to compare the same first data row. H2 must be FALSE; H3 must be TRUE.

Formula to try

=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

How this formula works=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Overall meaning of the whole formula
- Return TRUE only when both conditions are true: F2 equals "Paid" and E2 is at least 200.
AND(logical_expression1, [logical_expression2, ...])
- `logical_expression1` is required; it accepts a TRUE/FALSE expression. In this lesson the argument passed is `F2="Paid"`.
- `logical_expression2, ...` is optional; it accepts additional TRUE/FALSE expressions that must all be TRUE. In this lesson the argument passed is `E2>=200`.
Whole-expression evaluation
- F2="Paid" is TRUE because F2 is Paid.
- E2>=200 is FALSE because E2 = 120.
- AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE, so H2 returns FALSE.
Why the displayed final result appears
- AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE, so H2 returns FALSE.
- The final output must be read against the lesson’s visible sample data; this explanation does not change the formula, references, or criteria used in the lesson.

=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

How this formula works=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)

Overall meaning of the whole formula
- Return TRUE when at least one condition is true: F2 equals "Paid" or E2 is at least 200.
OR(logical_expression1, [logical_expression2, ...])
- `logical_expression1` is required; it accepts a TRUE/FALSE expression. In this lesson the argument passed is `F2="Paid"`.
- `logical_expression2, ...` is optional; it accepts additional TRUE/FALSE expressions where any TRUE is sufficient. In this lesson the argument passed is `E2>=200`.
Whole-expression evaluation
- F2="Paid" is TRUE.
- E2>=200 is FALSE.
- OR needs at least one TRUE condition, so H3 returns TRUE.
Why the displayed final result appears
- OR needs at least one TRUE condition, so H3 returns TRUE.
- The final output must be read against the lesson’s visible sample data; this explanation does not change the formula, references, or criteria used in the lesson.

Checkpoint

Formula	Verified result
=AND(F2="Paid",E2>=200)	FALSE
=OR(F2="Paid",E2>=200)	TRUE

Both formulas use the same row-2 inputs: Status = Paid and Amount = 120.

Input-change check: keep F2 = Paid and change Amount in E2 from 120 to 220. AND changes from FALSE to TRUE, while OR stays TRUE. Restore E2 to 120 before comparing with the checkpoint.

Common mistake and correction

Correction: select H2 or H3, read the formula in the formula bar, confirm both use F2 and E2, then recheck the row-2 Status and Amount values.

Independent practice

After following the example, complete this variation without editing the source data: Wrap AND in IF to display Review or Skip without changing its underlying test.

Key takeaways

✓AND returns TRUE only when every condition is TRUE; OR needs at least one TRUE condition.
✓Both formulas must test the same data row for the comparison to be meaningful.
✓With Status = Paid and Amount = 120 in row 2, AND returns FALSE while OR returns TRUE.
✓If only Amount changes from 120 to 220 while Status stays Paid, AND flips to TRUE and OR stays TRUE.
✓When a result is wrong, inspect the cell references and source values instead of typing over the formula result.

Continue learning

Previous lesson: IFERROR function; Next lesson: FILTER function.

AND and OR functions

What you will build

Learning objective

Prepare the sample data

Practice in your own copy

Work through the example

Formula to try

Checkpoint

Common mistake and correction

Independent practice

Key takeaways

Check your understanding

Continue learning

What should you learn next?

Comments

AND and OR functions

What you will build

Learning objective

Prepare the sample data

Practice in your own copy

Work through the example

Formula to try

Checkpoint

Common mistake and correction

Independent practice

Key takeaways

Check your understanding

Continue learning

What should you learn next?

Comments