This guide covers 20 essential Excel formula topics with examples you can adapt. Enter formulas in Excel itself; the SheetCommand command box does not execute all of them. The tool can separately help with supported cleanup, simple summaries, and limited key matching between sheets.
How to use the examples
Type an example beginning with = in an empty cell, replace the cell references with yours, and press Enter. B2:B8 is a continuous range; an absolute reference such as $F$2 stays fixed when copied.
Argument separators and function names depend on your Excel language and regional settings. These examples use English names and commas. Test the result on a few known rows before relying on a full file.
01. How do you use SUM in Excel?
Adds numbers from B2 through B8. For two separate cells, =B2+B8 also works.
A colon means a continuous range; =SUM(B2,B8) adds only the two named cells.
=SUM(B2:B8)02. How do you use AVERAGE in Excel?
Adds numeric cells and divides by their count, useful for average daily sales or scores.
Blank cells do not count, but a cell containing zero does. Check numbers stored as text.
=AVERAGE(B2:B8)03. How do you use IF in Excel?
Returns one text result when C2 is at least 1000 and another when it is lower.
Put text in double quotes. Use >= rather than > when the threshold itself should count.
=IF(C2>=1000,"On target","Below target")04. How do you use MAX in Excel?
Returns the largest numeric value in the range.
MAX gives the value, not the row where it appears; use a lookup or filter for its record.
=MAX(B2:B8)05. How do you use MIN in Excel?
Returns the smallest numeric value in the range.
Empty cells are not zero. A real zero in the range can be the minimum.
=MIN(B2:B8)06. How do you use NOW in Excel?
Returns the current date and time; =NOW()-7 represents seven days earlier.
NOW recalculates, so it is not a permanent timestamp unless you replace the formula with its value.
=NOW()07. How do you use CONCATENATE in Excel?
Joins A2 and B2 with one space. =A2&" "&B2 is another option.
CONCATENATE remains for compatibility; Excel also offers newer CONCAT. Add spaces explicitly.
=CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2)08. How do you use VLOOKUP in Excel?
Looks for the code in A2 within column F and returns the corresponding value from H.
The key must be the first column of F:H. The 3 is H's position within that range; see the detailed VLOOKUP guide.
=VLOOKUP(A2,$F$2:$H$100,3,FALSE)09. How do you use COUNT in Excel?
Counts cells containing numbers. COUNTA counts non-empty cells including text.
COUNT does not count every populated cell; distinguish numbers from text.
=COUNT(A2:A10)10. How do you use COUNTIF in Excel?
Counts cells in A2:A20 matching Apple.
For several conditions use COUNTIFS; review stray spaces in the source labels.
=COUNTIF(A2:A20,"Apple")11. How do you use INDEX in Excel?
Returns the third item in C2:C10, which is the value in C4.
The row number is relative to the selected range. Combine with MATCH to locate a key.
=INDEX(C2:C10,3)12. How do you use MATCH in Excel?
Returns the relative position of P-102 inside A2:A10, not its cell address or value.
Use 0 for exact matching; the omitted default is approximate and depends on sorting.
=MATCH("P-102",A2:A10,0)13. How do you use SUMIF in Excel?
Adds amounts in C only for rows where B contains London.
The criteria and sum ranges must align. Use SUMIFS for multiple criteria.
=SUMIF(B2:B100,"London",C2:C100)14. How do you use LEN in Excel?
Counts characters in A2, including spaces.
Unexpectedly large results can reveal hidden spaces.
=LEN(A2)15. How do you use ROUND in Excel?
Rounds the value in B2 to two decimal places. -1 rounds to the nearest ten.
ROUND changes the calculated value; number formatting only changes its display.
=ROUND(B2,2)16. How do you use REPLACE in Excel?
Replaces three characters starting at the second character of A2 with XYZ.
Use SUBSTITUTE when you mean to replace occurrences of a word rather than character positions.
=REPLACE(A2,2,3,"XYZ")17. How do you use UPPER / LOWER in Excel?
Returns uppercase or lowercase versions of the text in A2.
The original cell is unchanged; the formula produces a result in another cell.
=UPPER(A2)
=LOWER(A2)18. How do you use LEFT / RIGHT / MID in Excel?
Takes three characters from the start, two from the end, or three starting at position four.
Positions start at 1; use the function matching the part of the string you need.
=LEFT(A2,3)
=RIGHT(A2,2)
=MID(A2,4,3)19. How do you use TRIM in Excel?
Removes leading and trailing ordinary spaces and reduces repeated spaces between words.
Some nonbreaking spaces copied from websites are not removed by TRIM alone.
=TRIM(A2)20. How do you use PRODUCT in Excel?
Multiplies the numbers in B2:B5. For two cells, =B2*B3 is shorter.
A continuous range uses one colon, as in B2:B5.
=PRODUCT(B2:B5)Bonus: lock a cell reference with $
When you copy a formula down, relative B2 becomes B3. $F$2 fixes both the column and row; $F2 fixes only the column, and F$2 only the row. To multiply each price by a fixed rate in F2, enter =B2*$F$2 and fill down.
The dollar sign does not calculate a percentage; it controls how a reference moves when copied. F4 can cycle through reference types while editing a formula.
=B2*$F$2Frequently asked questions
How do I enter an Excel formula?
Start with = in an empty cell, enter the function and cell references, then press Enter. Function names vary with Excel's language.
What is the difference between a colon and a comma?
B2:B8 refers to a continuous range. A comma separates arguments in many English Excel settings; regional settings can use semicolons instead.
Can SheetCommand execute all 20 formulas?
No. This is an educational guide. The tool runs only its listed cleanup, sorting, summary, percentage-update and limited lookup steps; it does not write Excel formulas.
Sources and further reading
SheetCommand
Prepare the data first
Upload a file to SheetCommand for its supported cleanup and summary steps. Write these formulas in Excel; the tool does not insert all 20 formulas into a workbook.