Function reference /Logical

IF

Run in a real sheet

Returns one value when a test is true and another when it is false.

IF(logical_expression, value_if_true, value_if_false)

IF is the branch: test something, and hand back one of two answers. Almost every status column, flag and traffic-light in a spreadsheet is an IF underneath.

Executed 23 Aug 2026 Google Sheets · unedited screenshot
=IF(C2 > 1000, "On target", "Below") running in Google Sheets, returning On target
The formula sits in the formula bar and its answer sits in the grid, in one frame. Ana's 1200 clears the threshold, so the cell reads On target.

Worked example

RegionRepSales
WestAna1200
EastBen900
WestCara1500
NorthDan600
EastEve1100
 
=IF(C2 > 1000, "On target", "Below")

Returns On target.

Arguments

ArgumentRequiredWhat it does
logical_expression Yes Anything that evaluates to TRUE or FALSE.
value_if_true Yes What to return when the test passes.
value_if_false Optional What to return otherwise. Omitted, you get FALSE.

Gotchas

  • 01Omitting the false value returns a literal FALSE, not a blank. Pass "" if you want empty.
  • 02Deeply nested IFs are hard to read and harder to fix — past two levels, IFS or SWITCH is clearer.
  • 03A blank cell compares as 0, so blanks quietly fall on the false side of a > 0 test.