AND and OR functions in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

The AND and OR functions help you check if multiple things are true or if at least one thing is true. They are useful when you want to make decisions based on several conditions in your spreadsheet.

When you want to see if a student passed all subjects by checking if all scores are above a passing mark.

When you want to find out if a product is either in stock or on sale to decide if it should be promoted.

When you want to check if a date is either before or after a certain deadline to apply different rules.

When you want to combine multiple yes/no questions to filter data that meets all or some conditions.

When you want to create a formula that returns TRUE only if all conditions are met or if any condition is met.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- a blank cell where you want the result

The cell is selected and ready for input

Step 2: Type

- the formula bar

The formula appears in the formula bar

💡 Start formulas with an equal sign (=)

Step 3: Type

- the formula bar

The formula checks multiple conditions

💡 For AND, type =AND(condition1, condition2, ...). For example, =AND(A1>10, B1<20)

Step 4: Press

- Enter key

The cell shows TRUE if all conditions are true (AND) or if any condition is true (OR)

Step 5: Repeat

- for OR function

Type =OR(condition1, condition2, ...) to check if any condition is true. For example, =OR(A1>10, B1<20)

Before vs After

Before

Cell is empty with no formula

After

Cell shows TRUE if all conditions in AND are met or if any condition in OR is met; otherwise FALSE

Settings Reference

AND function

📍 Formula bar

Returns TRUE only if all conditions are true

Default: No default, you must enter conditions

OR function

📍 Formula bar

Returns TRUE if any condition is true

Default: No default, you must enter conditions

Common Mistakes

Using AND or OR without equal sign

Formulas must start with = to work

Always start formulas with =, for example, =AND(A1>10, B1<20)

Not separating conditions with commas

Functions require commas to separate each condition

Use commas between conditions, like =OR(A1=5, B1=10)

Using AND when you want OR logic or vice versa

AND requires all conditions true, OR requires any condition true

Choose AND if all must be true, OR if any can be true

Summary

AND checks if all conditions are true and returns TRUE only then.

OR checks if any condition is true and returns TRUE if at least one is true.

Always start formulas with = and separate conditions with commas.