Excel Function Reference
Searchable quick reference for 60+ Excel functions
About the Excel Function Reference
Excel has hundreds of worksheet functions, but most spreadsheets rely on a core set of perhaps sixty: the lookup functions (VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, XLOOKUP), the conditional aggregations (SUMIF, SUMIFS, COUNTIF, AVERAGEIF), the logical tests (IF, IFS, AND, OR, IFERROR), the text utilities (LEFT, MID, RIGHT, TRIM, TEXT, LEN), the date calculations (DATE, TODAY, EDATE, NETWORKDAYS), and the statistical functions (SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, STDEV). Knowing these sixty well covers the overwhelming majority of real-world spreadsheet work.
This function reference covers those sixty-plus functions with concise syntax summaries, argument descriptions, and example calls for each. You can search by name or filter by category (Math & Statistical, Lookup & Reference, Text, Date & Time, Logical, or Information) to narrow the list. Each entry is designed to answer the "what does this argument do?" question quickly — the kind of question you usually have mid-formula when you cannot pause to read full documentation. All content is displayed instantly in your browser with no network requests.
How to Use the Excel Function Reference
- Use the search box to type any function name or keyword. Results filter in real time as you type.
- Click a category filter button (All, Math, Lookup, Text, Date, Logic, Statistical) to narrow the list to one function group.
- Click any function card to expand it and see the full syntax, argument descriptions, and an example formula.
- Use the search and category filter together to quickly zero in on a specific function type — for example, search "if" in the Logic category to see IF, IFS, IFERROR, and IFNA.
Why Use ToolForge’s Excel Function Reference
- Category filtering: the six category buttons (Math, Lookup, Text, Date, Logic, Statistical) let you browse all functions in a domain at once, useful when you know the kind of function you need but not its exact name.
- Instant search: the search field filters by function name in real time, so typing "sum" immediately shows SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, and SUM — no page reload or button press required.
- Syntax + example for every function: each entry shows the exact syntax signature with argument names and a short example formula so you can see the function in context, not just in the abstract.
- Pairs with the Formula Explainer: if you understand what a function does from this reference but want to understand a specific formula that uses it, paste the formula into the Excel Formula Explainer for a full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP?
VLOOKUP searches the first column of a range and returns a value from a column to its right. XLOOKUP, introduced in 2019, is more flexible: the lookup array and return array are specified independently (so you can look up from any column and return from any column, including columns to the left), it defaults to exact match, and it has a built-in not-found value argument instead of requiring IFERROR wrapping. XLOOKUP is the modern replacement for VLOOKUP in newer Excel and Google Sheets versions.
When should I use SUMIFS instead of SUMIF?
Use SUMIFS whenever you have more than one condition. SUMIF accepts only one criterion range and one criterion; SUMIFS accepts up to 127 condition pairs. The syntax is also slightly different: in SUMIF the sum range comes first, but in SUMIFS the sum range also comes first and conditions follow in criterion_range, criterion pairs. SUMIFS works identically to SUMIF when only one condition is provided, so you can always use SUMIFS.
What does IFERROR do?
IFERROR(value, value_if_error) evaluates the first argument and, if it produces any error value (#N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, or #NULL!), returns the second argument instead. It is most commonly used to suppress #N/A from VLOOKUP or MATCH when a lookup value is not found — for example, =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(A2,Table,2,0),"Not found") returns "Not found" instead of #N/A.
