How to Use If‐Else in Excel

Last Updated: October 9, 2017 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a logical formula using nested IF statements in Microsoft Excel. The formula you create will use the following syntax: =IF(condition1, value_if_true1, IF(condition2 value_if_true2, value_if_false2)

Steps

1
Open Microsoft Excel. You’ll find it in the Applications folder on a Mac, or the Start/Windows menu on a PC.
2
Click Blank Document. If Excel already opened to a blank spreadsheet, you can skip this step. For this article, we’ll work with a blank document to create an example formula.
- In this example formula, we’ll say that if the value of A1 is greater than 5, multiply it by 1. If the value is less than or equal to 5, multiply it by 2.
- The end result of this formula will look like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1, IF (A1<5, A1*2, A1*2))
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3
Type 2 into A1 and press ↵ Enter.
4
Double-click cell B1. This is where you’ll type the example formula.
5
Type =IF( into the cell. This starts the formula.
6
Type the first condition, followed by a comma. This is the first test you’ll be performing.
- In our example, we want a certain action to occur if the value of A1 is greater than 5. Type A1>5,.
- The formula should now read =IF(A1>5,, which means “if the number inside A1 is greater than 5.”
7
Type the desired output if true. This is the action you want to occur if the result of the first condition is true.
- In this example, we want the value to be multiplied by 1 if it’s greater than 5. So, type A1*1.
- The formula now looks like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1. This means “if the value of A1 is greater than five, multiple the value by 1.”
8
Type a , (comma) and press the spacebar. The formula should now look like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1,
9
Type IF( after the space. Now you’re ready to add the second part of the formula.
10
Type the second condition, followed by a comma. This is the second test you’ll perform on the value of A1.
- In our example, we want to specify an action to occur if A1 is less than 5. So, type A1<5.
- The formula should now read: =IF(A1>5, A1*1, IF(A1<5,.
11
Type the desired output if true, followed by a comma. This is the action you want to occur if A1 is less than 5.
- In this example, we want the value to be multiplied by 2 if it’s less than 5. So, type A1*2,.
- The formula now looks like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1, IF(A1<5, A1*2,.
12
Type the desired output is false. Since we’re doing a greater/less than operation, the only value that could be false is 5, since we’re checking for numbers that are greater or less than 5.
- In our example, we want the equal-to value to be multiplied by 2. So, you’ll type A1*2.
- The formula should now look like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1, IF(A1<5, A1*2, A1*2. This means that if the value of A1 is equal to 5, it will be multiplied by 2.
13
Type )). This ends both nested IF statements, as each needs their own “)” mark.
- The formula now looks like this: =IF(A1>5, A1*1, IF(A1<5, A1*2, A1*2)).
14
Press ↵ Enter. This runs the formula and displays the result in cell B1. The example result should be 4, because the since the value of A1 (which is 2) is less than 5, it has been multiplied by 2.