How to Auto-Increment Column References in QUERY Formulas in Google Sheets

GiGiKing·March 15, 2024·0 comments

In this tutorial, we will explore three scenarios where you may need to auto-increment column references in QUERY formulas in Google Sheets. These scenarios include copying a QUERY formula, deleting a column within the data range, and inserting new columns.

By column reference, we mean the identifiers used in the QUERY clauses. For example:

select A
select Col1
where B
where Col2

The column identifiers in Google Sheets QUERY may not adjust automatically when you copy and paste a QUERY formula. However, there is a simple workaround to increment the columns in QUERY.

You can make a column identifier relative by using the Google Sheets QUERY function. This means that the column identifier will adjust when you copy the formula right or left, or when you delete or insert new columns in the data range.

Identifiers (IDs) in the QUERY Function

Column identifiers, also known as IDs, are used to refer to specific columns within the QUERY function. The syntax of the QUERY function is as follows:

QUERY(data, query, [headers])

Where:

  • data is the range of cells to be queried.
  • query is a string that specifies the query to be performed.
  • headers (optional) is a range of cells that contains the header labels for the columns in the output of the QUERY function.

To auto-increment columns in a QUERY formula, it is important to specify the columns correctly in the QUERY function.

Specifying IDs in the QUERY Function

There are two ways to specify columns in the QUERY function, depending on whether your data is a physical range, a named range, or an expression:

  • Physical range or named range: You can specify a column by its heading, which is the label that identifies a column of a sheet. For example, the following formula will select column C from the data in A1:D:

    =QUERY($A$1:$D,"select C")

  • Expression: You can specify a column by its number using the Col syntax, followed by the column number. For example, the following formula will select column 5 from the data imported from another spreadsheet:

    =Query({importrange("URL","Sheet1!A1:G")},"select Col5",1)

You can also convert a physical range or a named range to an expression by enclosing it in curly braces. This can be useful for auto-incrementing column references in QUERY. For example, the following formulas will select column 3:

=QUERY({$A$1:$D},"select Col3")  // physical range to expression
=QUERY({sales_data},"select Col3")  // named range to an expression

Please note that Google Sheets recently started supporting column number identifiers with physical ranges. However, we will stick to the curly braces approach for the sake of consistency.

Incrementing Column References in QUERY SELECT Clause in Google Sheets

To auto-increment a column reference in QUERY, you can use the following syntax:

=QUERY({data},"select Col"&COLUMN(reference_cell))

Where:

  • data is the range of cells to be queried.
  • reference_cell is the first cell of the column that you want to increment.

For example, the following formula will select the first column from the data range A1:D:

=QUERY({$A$1:$D}, "select Col"&COLUMN(A1))

When you copy this formula to the right, it will populate the second column, effectively incrementing the column references by one.

You can use absolute references in the data range. Instead of A1:D, you should use $A$1:$D.

How to Auto-Increment Column References in QUERY When Copying to the Right

To auto-increment column references in QUERY when copying the formula to the right, you can use the COLUMN() function. By concatenating select Col with COLUMN(A1), the column reference becomes flexible in QUERY. When you drag the formula to the right, the COLUMN(A1) function adjusts to COLUMN(B1), COLUMN(C1), and so on.

How to Move a Column Reference Automatically in QUERY When Deleting a Column

To move a column reference automatically in QUERY when deleting a column, you can use the COLUMN() function again. By concatenating select Col with COLUMN(C1), the column reference adjusts when the position of the column changes. For example, if you delete column B, the COLUMN(C1) function returns the column number of cell C1, which automatically adjusts to B1.

How to Auto-Adjust a Column Reference in QUERY When Inserting a New Column

To auto-adjust a column reference in QUERY when inserting a new column, you can use the COLUMN() function similarly to the previous scenarios. By concatenating select Col with COLUMN(B1), the column reference automatically increments when a new column is inserted. The position of the data in the second column moves to the third, and the formula adjusts accordingly.

Incrementing Column References in QUERY WHERE and Other Clauses

You can also increment column references in other clauses, such as the WHERE clause, in a QUERY formula. By using the COLUMN() function to specify the column references in the SELECT and WHERE clauses, you can ensure that they increment correctly when the formula is copied across.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered various scenarios where you may need to auto-increment column references in QUERY formulas in Google Sheets. By using the COLUMN() function and a flexible syntax, you can ensure that the column references adjust automatically when copying the formula, deleting columns, or inserting new columns. This provides a dynamic and efficient way to work with QUERY formulas in Google Sheets.

If you want to learn more about QUERY functions and how to optimize your Google Sheets workflows, check out the resources below:

  1. Dynamic Sheet Names in Importrange in Google Sheets
  2. How to Get Dynamic Column Reference in Google Sheets Query

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GiGiKing

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