COUNTA Function in Google Sheets
Counts the number of non-empty cells in a range — text, numbers, dates, even error values. Use this when you want to know "how many cells have something in them."
Syntax
COUNTA(value1, [value2, ...])Returns: The number of non-empty cells.
Excel equivalent: COUNTA (identical)
Parameters
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| value1, value2, ... | Required | Values, cell references, or ranges to count. COUNTA counts every non-empty cell across all arguments. |
Examples
Count filled rows in a column
=COUNTA(A2:A1000)Returns how many cells in A2:A1000 have any content — useful for counting records in a table.
Get the last row of data
=COUNTA(A:A)Returns the count of all non-empty cells in column A, which equals the row number of the last filled cell when data is contiguous from row 1.
Multiple disjoint ranges
=COUNTA(A2:A100, C2:C100, E2:E100)Counts non-empty cells across three separate ranges.
When to use an alternative
- COUNT — You only want to count cells containing numbers, not text.
- COUNTIF — You want to count cells matching a specific condition, not just non-empty.
- COUNTBLANK — You want the inverse — count empty cells.
Common errors and how to fix them
Counts cells that look empty
Cause: Cell contains an empty string "" or a formula returning "" — these are technically non-empty.
Fix: Use COUNTIF(range, "<>") to count cells that aren't blank AND aren't empty strings.
Off by one from expected
Cause: Includes the header row.
Fix: Start the range below the header: COUNTA(A2:A1000) instead of COUNTA(A:A) when row 1 is a header.
Related functions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does COUNTA count an empty-string formula result?
Yes. A cell containing ="" is technically non-empty and COUNTA includes it. If you want to exclude empty-string results, use COUNTIF(range, "?*") which only matches cells with at least one character.
How is COUNTA different from COUNT?
COUNT only counts numeric cells. COUNTA counts any non-empty cell — text, numbers, dates, booleans, and errors all count. Use COUNT when you want "how many numbers", COUNTA when you want "how many filled cells".