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Conditional function

How to use MAXIFS in Excel

The largest value among rows that match every condition.

Syntax

MAXIFS(max_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, …)
max_rangeWhere the values are
criteria_range1First range to test
criteria1First condition

Example

Here’s MAXIFS on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.

G2
fx
=MAXIFS(F2:F9,B2:B9,"West")
A
B
C
D
E
F
1
Order
Region
Rep
Units
Price
Revenue
2
1001
East
Maya
4
12
48
3
1002
West
Omar
2
30
60
4
1003
East
Lena
7
12
84
5
1004
North
Maya
1
45
45
6
1005
West
Lena
5
30
150
7
1006
East
Omar
3
18
54
8
1007
North
Lena
6
12
72
9
1008
West
Maya
8
18
144
150Result of =MAXIFS(F2:F9,B2:B9,"West")

Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.

Common mistakes with MAXIFS

Returns 0 when nothing matches

If no rows meet the condition, MAXIFS returns 0, not an error. Check with COUNTIFS if 0 could be a real answer.

Max range comes first

MAXIFS(max_range, criteria_range, criteria, …).

What the error messages mean

Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:

Leaving off the closing bracket

=MAXIFS(F2:F9,B2:B9,"West"

Parentheses don’t match. You have 1 opening and 0 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).

Text without quotes

=MAXIFS(F2:F9,B2:B9,West)

Text needs quotes. West isn’t a function or a cell, so Excel can’t read it. If you mean the word, write "West" with quotes.

Questions

What does the MAXIFS function do in Excel?

The largest value among rows that match every condition. The syntax is MAXIFS(max_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, …).

Why is my MAXIFS formula giving the wrong answer?

Returns 0 when nothing matches: If no rows meet the condition, MAXIFS returns 0, not an error. Check with COUNTIFS if 0 could be a real answer. Max range comes first: MAXIFS(max_range, criteria_range, criteria, …).

Does MAXIFS work in Google Sheets?

Most Excel functions, including the core ones on this page, work the same way in Google Sheets. A few newer functions arrived in Sheets later or behave slightly differently, so test it on your own data.

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