What you will build

Count orders that are both North and Paid and return 2.

Learning objective

Enter the formula in a blank output area, understand every argument, compare the result with the visible source data and diagnose range or criterion mistakes.

Open the practice workbook

Use the sample below and keep the full source table visible while checking the result.

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.

The Google Sheets _result workbook shows the complete sample table before formula verification.

Hands-on practice

Step 1: Choose a blank summary cell such as H2 and enter =COUNTIFS(B2:B6,"North",F2:F6,"Paid").

=COUNTIFS(B2:B6,"North",F2:F6,"Paid")
Cell H2 is selected; the formula bar shows the COUNTIFS formula and the calculated result is 2.
After changing a referenced input and restoring it, H2 returns to 2 with the original source table restored.

Step 2: Compare the returned result with the visible source rows before using it in a report.

Checkpoint

FormulaVerified result
=COUNTIFS(B2:B6,"North",F2:F6,"Paid")2

Verified against the visible sample data.

Common mistakes and fixes

Fix it by selecting H2, rereading the formula in the formula bar, matching each range–criterion pair to the source table, and confirming that the rows dated 2026-09-01 and 2026-09-03 both satisfy North + Paid, so the result must be 2.

Independent practice

Change one relevant input deliberately, predict the new result first, verify it in Sheets, then restore the original sample.

Key takeaways

  • ✓COUNTIFS counts rows that satisfy multiple criteria at the same time.
  • ✓Each criterion is paired with a range: B2:B6 with "North", and F2:F6 with "Paid".
  • ✓Criteria ranges must be the same size and aligned to the same source rows.
  • ✓In the sample data, exactly 2 rows satisfy North + Paid, so H2 should return 2.
  • ✓To test the formula, change one referenced source value, observe recalculation, then restore the sample.
QUICK CHECK

Check your understanding

Answer four questions about the practice sheet.

1. What is COUNTIFS counting in this lesson?
2. Why must B2:B6 and F2:F6 be the same size?
3. What is the correct result of =COUNTIFS(B2:B6,"North",F2:F6,"Paid") for the sample data?
4. What happens if F2 changes from Paid to Open?

Continue learning

Next lesson: SUMIF function.