Function reference /Array & filter

QUERY

Run in a real sheet

Runs a small SQL-like query over a range — select, filter, sort and group in one formula.

QUERY(data, query, [headers])

QUERY is the most powerful function in Google Sheets and the one with the steepest cliff, because the second argument is a language of its own rather than ordinary formula syntax.

It pays off when a job would otherwise take a stack of nested FILTER, SORT and SUMIF formulas: one QUERY does the lot, and it reads almost like a sentence.

Executed 23 Aug 2026 Google Sheets · unedited screenshot
=QUERY(A1:C6, "select A, sum(C) where C > 800 group by A order by sum(C) desc", 1) running in Google Sheets, returning West 2700, East 2000
The formula sits in the formula bar and its answer sits in the grid, in one frame. Regions with sales above 800, totalled per region, biggest first. Doing the same thing without QUERY takes a UNIQUE, a SUMIF and a SORT.

Worked example

RegionRepSales
WestAna1200
EastBen900
WestCara1500
NorthDan600
EastEve1100
 
=QUERY(A1:C6, "select A, sum(C) where C > 800 group by A order by sum(C) desc", 1)

Returns West 2700, East 2000.

Arguments

ArgumentRequiredWhat it does
data Yes The range to query.
query Yes The query string, in quotes. Columns are referred to by letter: A, B, C.
headers Optional How many header rows the data has. Pass 1 when the first row is headers.

Gotchas

  • 01Inside the query string columns are letters (A, B, C) — not header names, and not the range's own numbering.
  • 02A column with mixed numbers and text gets one type assigned and the minority values are dropped silently. This is the single most common QUERY bug.
  • 03Text values in a where clause need their own quotes: where B = 'Ana'. Mixing quote types breaks the formula.
  • 04Dates need date literals: where D > date '2026-01-01'.
  • 05Omitting the headers argument lets QUERY guess, and it guesses wrong on small ranges. Pass it explicitly.