The Excel COUNTA function counts how many cells are not empty — numbers, text, dates, logical values, and error values all count. Only truly blank cells are skipped.
Syntax
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
value1 | Required | The first item, cell, or range to count non-empty cells in. |
value2, ... | Optional | Up to 255 additional items or ranges. |
How to use it
COUNTA counts every cell that holds anything at all — numbers, text, dates, TRUE/FALSE, and even error values. It is the go-to for “how many rows are filled in?”
Note that an empty string ("") produced by a formula counts as non-empty — only a genuinely empty cell is skipped. To count numbers only, use COUNT; to count blanks, use COUNTBLANK.
Watch out for “invisible” entries. A formula that returns "" still counts in COUNTA even though the cell looks empty. If your count seems too high, that's often the cause.
Try it: interactive demo
Pick a COUNTA example to see the formula and its result.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between COUNT and COUNTA?
COUNT counts only numbers; COUNTA counts all non-empty cells — numbers, text, dates, logical values, and errors. Only truly blank cells are excluded.Does COUNTA count an empty string?
"" (often the output of a formula) is treated as non-empty and is counted, even though it looks blank.Does COUNTA count error values?
How do I count only the blank cells instead?
COUNTBLANK, which counts empty cells (including formulas that return "") in a range.Master functions like this in one day
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