QUERY function basics in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

The QUERY function lets you pull and filter data from a table using simple commands. It helps you get only the data you want without changing the original table.

When you want to see only sales data for a specific month from a big list.

When you need to list all employees from a certain department without copying rows manually.

When you want to sum or count data based on conditions, like total sales over $1000.

When you want to sort data by date or name without changing the original order.

When you want to create a smaller table from a big one for easier reading or printing.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- a blank cell where you want the result

The cell is selected and ready for typing

Step 2: Type

- the formula bar

The formula starts appearing in the cell

💡 Start with =QUERY(

Step 3: Enter

- the range of your data inside the formula

The formula knows which data to look at

💡 Example: A1:D20

Step 4: Type

- the query string inside the formula

The formula filters or sorts data as you want

💡 Example: "select A, B where C > 100"

Step 5: Close

- the formula with a parenthesis and press Enter

The filtered or sorted data appears in the selected cell and below

Before vs After

Before

A table with 20 rows of sales data including columns Date, Product, Sales, Region

After

A smaller table showing only Product and Sales columns where Sales are greater than 100

Settings Reference

Data range

📍 Inside the QUERY formula as the first argument

Defines which data the QUERY function will use

Default: No default, must specify

Query string

📍 Inside the QUERY formula as the second argument

Tells QUERY how to filter, sort, or select data

Default: No default, must specify

Headers

📍 Inside the QUERY formula as the optional third argument

Specifies how many header rows are in the data range

Default: 1

Common Mistakes

Not putting the query string inside double quotes

QUERY needs the query text as a string to understand it

Always write the query like "select A, B where C > 100" with quotes

Using wrong column letters in the query

QUERY uses column letters from the data range, not the sheet columns

Count columns from the left of your range and use those letters (A, B, C...)

Not closing the formula with a parenthesis

The formula will show an error and not work

Always end the formula with a closing parenthesis )

Summary

QUERY lets you filter and sort data easily using simple commands.

You must specify the data range and write the query string inside quotes.

Remember to use correct column letters based on your data range.