Welcome to my secret world, where I share with you the juiciest tips and tricks to unleash the full potential of Google Sheets. In this article, I’m going to show you how to get the latest value of a column in Google Sheets, without having to scroll through the entire spreadsheet. With my insider knowledge, you’ll save valuable time and work more efficiently.
Get the Latest Value with INDEX and COUNTA
One method you can use to get the latest value of a column is by combining the INDEX and COUNTA functions. The INDEX function returns the content of a cell at a specified location, while COUNTA counts the number of values in a data set.
Let’s dive into a real-life example. Suppose you have a column containing data and you want to get the latest value from that column. You can use the following formula:
=INDEX(range, COUNTA(range))In this formula, “range” represents the column or data range from which you want to get the latest value. For example, if you want to get the latest value from column A, you can use the formula:
=INDEX(A:A, COUNTA(A:A))This formula counts the number of filled cells in column A using COUNTA, and then uses that count as the location to get the latest value using INDEX. This allows you to quickly and easily find the latest value of a column without manually scrolling through the entire spreadsheet.
However, this method has its limitations. If your column contains empty cells, the formula won’t work correctly. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to this problem.
Ignore Empty Cells with FILTER
To address the issue of empty cells, you can use the FILTER function in combination with INDEX and COUNTA. The FILTER function allows you to create a filter to ignore empty cells in your formula.
Here’s how you can use this method:
=INDEX(FILTER(range, range<>"", COUNTA(FILTER(range, range<>"")))In this formula, “range” once again represents the column or data range from which you want to get the latest value. The FILTER function is used to filter out empty cells in the column, only returning values that are not empty. Then, COUNTA is used to count the number of filled cells in the filter.
For example, if you want to get the latest value from column A while ignoring empty cells, you can use the formula:
=INDEX(FILTER(A:A, A:A<>"", COUNTA(FILTER(A:A, A:A<>"")))This formula allows you to get the latest value from column A, even if it contains empty cells. You can adapt it to your needs by replacing “range” with the desired column or data range.
Final Thoughts
There are certainly other methods to get the latest value from different columns and rows in your spreadsheet, but this is our preferred option. With other options, you can create a formula to return the latest text or numeric value while ignoring empty cells.
We love this option because it works with any type of value and gives you the flexibility to ignore empty cells by using the FILTER function in your formula as well.
So, hop on board and start exploring the endless possibilities of Google Sheets. If you want to learn more about using INDEX and MATCH together, the FILTER function, or how to get the column letter, check out Crawlan.com, where you’ll find more exciting tutorials on Google Sheets.
Spend quality time with your besties (or, in this case, your favorite spreadsheet) and master Google Sheets like a pro!
