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# Sheets Guide: Google Sheets & Excel Tutorials, Tips and Tricks
## Posts
- [Excel MAXIFS and MINIFS: conditional max and min values](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-maxifs-minifs-conditional-min-max/): Excel MAXIFS and MINIFS return the highest or lowest value that matches your criteria. See the syntax, common traps, and the row-lookup pattern.
- [Excel SEQUENCE function: dynamic number and date lists](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-sequence-function-generate-number-series/): Excel SEQUENCE function generates number and date series in one formula — no dragging, no re-fills when your data grows. See how it works in practice.
- [Excel PMT function: build a real loan payment calculator](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-pmt-loan-payment-calculator-formula/): Excel PMT function done right: sign convention, matching rate to period, IPMT/PPMT amortization, extra principal, plus a working calculator.
- [Google Sheets locale and date format: fix stuck cells](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-locale-date-format-fix/): Change Google Sheets date format by locale, then fix the cells that stay stuck as text — with DATEVALUE, custom formats, and one QUERY trick.
- [Excel TEXTJOIN: ignore empty cells the right way](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-textjoin-ignore-empty-delimiters/): Excel TEXTJOIN's ignore_empty argument skips true blanks, not whitespace. Learn the fix, the FILTER combo, and the 32,767-character trap. Read on.
- [CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS in Excel: extract clean subsets](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-choosecols-chooserows-extract-columns/): CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS extract, reorder, and mirror columns or rows from any Excel array in one spill formula. Here is how to use them cleanly.
- [Excel WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS: skip weekends and holidays](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-workday-networkdays-skip-holidays-formula/): Excel WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS turn calendar math into working-day math. Feed them a holiday Table and every due date lands on a real business day. Read on.
- [Excel BYROW and BYCOL function: skip helper columns](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-byrow-bycol-skip-helper-columns/): Excel BYROW and BYCOL turn a range into one summary per row or column, so the helper column and fill-down disappear. Here's how to use them well.
- [Excel SORT and SORTBY: dynamic sorting for real data](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-sort-sortby-dynamic-sorting/): Excel SORT and SORTBY spill sorted results as formulas, so lists stay current when data changes. See when to pick each and how to sort custom orders.
- [Reshape data faster with Excel CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-choosecols-chooserows-reshape-data/): CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS reshape Excel data in one formula — pick any columns or rows in any order. See where they beat INDEX and where they break.
- [Excel regex functions: REGEXTEST, REGEXEXTRACT, REGEXREPLACE](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-regex-functions-regextest-regexextract-regexreplace/): Excel regex functions REGEXTEST, REGEXEXTRACT, and REGEXREPLACE finally bring PCRE2 patterns to Microsoft 365. Learn the syntax, use cases, and traps.
- [Excel XMATCH function: two-dimensional lookup guide](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-xmatch-two-dimensional-lookup/): Use INDEX with two XMATCH calls to look up by row and column simultaneously. See header traps, structured refs, and older-Excel fallbacks inside.
- [Excel FILTER function with multiple criteria: AND, OR, mixed](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-filter-function-multiple-criteria/): Excel FILTER function with multiple criteria — use * for AND, + for OR, and combine them cleanly. Handle #CALC!, chain SORT and UNIQUE. Read on.
- [Excel SWITCH function: replace nested IF the clean way](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-switch-function-replace-nested-if/): Excel SWITCH function replaces messy nested IF formulas with a clean value-result mapping. Walk through the migration and when to use IFS instead.
- [Excel TEXTBEFORE and TEXTAFTER: extract text cleanly](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-textbefore-textafter-extract-text/): Extract text before or after any delimiter in Excel using TEXTBEFORE and TEXTAFTER — plus safe patterns for emails, URLs, and messy log data.
- [Google Sheets IFERROR: clean up lookup errors safely](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-iferror-clean-lookup-errors/): Google Sheets IFERROR wraps a formula and swaps errors for a fallback — but it hides real bugs. Learn when to use IFERROR vs IFNA, and when not to.
- [VSTACK and HSTACK in Excel: combine ranges cleanly](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-vstack-hstack-combine-ranges/): VSTACK and HSTACK combine ranges in Excel without copy-paste. See how to consolidate sheets, dodge #N/A padding, and chain UNIQUE — read on.
- [Google Sheets SPARKLINE: inline mini charts done right](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-sparkline-inline-mini-charts/): Master Google Sheets SPARKLINE to build inline mini charts inside a single cell. Options by chart type, common errors, and when to switch to a full chart.
- [Excel LAMBDA: build reusable functions without VBA](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-lambda-reusable-custom-functions/): Excel LAMBDA turns a duplicated formula into a named function you can call from anywhere. Learn the syntax, the traps, and how to save one — read on.
- [Fix the Excel #SPILL! error: 6 dynamic array causes](https://sheetsguide.com/fix-excel-spill-error-dynamic-array/): Excel #SPILL! error in a dynamic array formula? Here are the six causes and the exact fix for each, from blocked cells to full-column lookups.
- [Excel GROUPBY function: a pivot table alternative](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-groupby-function-pivot-table-alternative/): Excel GROUPBY turns a pivot table into a single formula that updates with the source. See when to use it, the eight arguments, and common errors.
- [Excel Goal Seek: solve any formula backward in seconds](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-goal-seek-reverse-solve-formulas/): Excel Goal Seek reverse-solves any formula so a target value matches what you want. Step-by-step setup, common errors, and the PMT trap. Read on.
- [Excel SUMPRODUCT with multiple criteria: a working guide](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-sumproduct-multiple-criteria-guide/): Use Excel SUMPRODUCT to count and sum with multiple criteria, including AND/OR logic and weighted averages — without Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Read on.
- [Google Sheets FILTER function with multiple conditions](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-filter-function-multiple-conditions/): Google Sheets FILTER with multiple conditions: AND, OR, REGEXMATCH partial match, dropdown-driven criteria, and the empty-result fix. See the patterns.
- [Excel LET function: reusable variables in your formulas](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-let-function-reusable-variables-formulas/): Excel LET function lets you name a value once and reuse it through a formula — faster recalcs, cleaner code reviews. See the refactor patterns inside.
- [Google Sheets dropdown chips and smart chips, explained](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-dropdown-chips-smart-chips/): Google Sheets dropdown chips replace plain validation lists with colored pills. Add them, color the values, convert a whole column, then read on.
- [Google Sheets array literals: the curly brace guide](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-array-literals-curly-braces/): Build arrays inline with curly braces in Google Sheets — stack ranges, fix locale errors, feed FILTER or QUERY. Read the patterns that save real time.
- [Excel remove duplicates vs UNIQUE: when to use which](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-remove-duplicates-vs-unique-function/): Excel remove duplicates vs UNIQUE function: which handles blanks, case, edge cases, and large data better, and when each one is the right pick. Read on.
- [Excel freeze panes vs split window: when to use which](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-freeze-panes-vs-split-window-large-sheets/): Excel freeze panes locks one fixed strip; split window opens two scrollable views. Here's when to pick each and the gotchas guides skip. Read on.
- [IMPORTHTML in Google Sheets: pull tables from any page](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-importhtml-pull-web-tables/): IMPORTHTML in Google Sheets pulls a table or list straight from a URL. See the syntax, the index trick, QUERY slicing, and why some pages just won't load.
- [Excel waterfall chart for profit and loss, step by step](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-waterfall-chart-profit-loss/): An Excel waterfall chart turns a P&L into a visual cumulative trail. Get the data layout, the Set as total clicks, and the floating-bar fix below.
- [Google Sheets named functions: build your own formula](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-named-functions-custom-formula/): Google Sheets named functions wrap long formulas behind one call. Build, debug, import, and know when a helper column wins instead. Read on.
- [Excel Flash Fill: extract patterns without writing formulas](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-flash-fill-extract-patterns-without-formulas/): Excel Flash Fill extracts patterns from text without a single formula. See how to feed it examples, fix silent misses, and when a formula is faster.
- [Google Sheets REGEXREPLACE: clean messy text columns](https://sheetsguide.com/google-sheets-regexreplace-clean-messy-text/): REGEXREPLACE in Google Sheets fixes messy text in bulk — strip junk, reformat dates, standardize phones. Patterns, ARRAYFORMULA, RE2 gotchas inside.
- [GOOGLEFINANCE in Google Sheets: pull live stock prices](https://sheetsguide.com/googlefinance-google-sheets-live-stock-prices/): Use GOOGLEFINANCE in Google Sheets to pull live stock prices, currency rates, and historical data, with the attributes and fixes that matter. Read on.
- [Power Pivot DAX measures for beginners, step by step](https://sheetsguide.com/power-pivot-dax-measures-beginners/): Power Pivot DAX measures confuse most beginners. Write your first explicit measure, fix wrong grand totals, and learn SUM vs SUMX. Start here.
- [Excel TEXTSPLIT: split one cell into multiple columns](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-textsplit-split-cell-columns/): Excel TEXTSPLIT splits one cell into columns or rows with a single live formula. See the syntax, multi-delimiter tricks, and how to fix #SPILL errors.
- [Excel dependent dropdown lists: INDIRECT, Tables, or FILTER](https://sheetsguide.com/excel-dependent-dropdown-list-another-cell/): Build a dependent dropdown in Excel three ways: INDIRECT named ranges, Excel Tables, or the Excel 365 FILTER function. See which one fits your data.
- [Top 5 Productivity Tips for Using Google Sheets Efficiently](https://sheetsguide.com/productivity-tips-google-sheets/): Power-user Google Sheets productivity — let ARRAYFORMULA fill whole columns, QUERY and FILTER replace manual work, named ranges make formulas readable, plus paste-special and template habits.
- [A Beginner’s Guide to Data Validation in Excel: Ensuring Accurate Inputs](https://sheetsguide.com/beginner-guide-data-validation-excel/): A beginner's guide to Excel data validation — what it does, your first dropdown, simple number and date rules, friendly messages, and where to use it first.
- [A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Interactive Dashboards in Google Sheets](https://sheetsguide.com/interactive-dashboards-google-sheets-guide/): Design a Google Sheets dashboard people actually use — start from the audience's questions, pick the few metrics that matter, lay out for how people read, and show less.
- [Building Interactive Checklists in Google Sheets: A Productivity Hack](https://sheetsguide.com/building-interactive-checklists-google-sheets/): Build an interactive checklist in Google Sheets — real checkboxes, automatic strikethrough on done items, a live completion percentage, a SPARKLINE progress bar, and a shareable template.
- [A Beginner’s Guide to Google Sheets: Tips and Tricks for Faster Productivity](https://sheetsguide.com/beginners-guide-google-sheets-tips-tricks/): A beginner's guide to Google Sheets — navigate and freeze headers, the five starter formulas, format and clean your data, dropdowns, conditional formatting, and sharing without chaos.
- [How to Use IF Statements in Excel for Decision Making](https://sheetsguide.com/use-if-statements-excel-decision-making/): Use IF statements in Excel for decision-making — basic IF, combining conditions with AND/OR, nested IF vs IFS, IFERROR, building flags, and the mistakes that tangle IF formulas.
- [How to Create Dynamic Dashboards in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://sheetsguide.com/create-dynamic-dashboards-excel/): Design a dynamic Excel dashboard — the three-layer data model, KPI cards with context, dynamic ranges that grow, slicers vs form controls, layout, and automatic refresh.
- [A Comprehensive Guide to Data Validation in Excel: Preventing Input Errors](https://sheetsguide.com/comprehensive-guide-to-data-validation-in-excel/): Advanced Excel data validation — self-growing dropdowns, cascading multi-level lists, custom-formula rules, validating imports, and layering validation with formatting and protection.
- [Creating Custom Templates in Google Sheets for Project Management](https://sheetsguide.com/custom-templates-google-sheets-project-management/): Build a custom, reusable project-management template in Google Sheets — plan the structure, keep a clean master, wire a task list to a Gantt and dashboard, and run it live with your team.
- [Exploring the Power of What-If Analysis in Excel](https://sheetsguide.com/exploring-power-of-what-if-analysis-excel/): Excel What-If Analysis explained — Goal Seek to work backward to a target, one- and two-variable Data Tables to test ranges, and Scenario Manager to compare named cases.
- [How to Automate Your Reporting with Excel Macros: A Complete Walkthrough](https://sheetsguide.com/automate-reporting-with-excel-macros/): Build an Excel macro that automates a monthly report end to end — format, export to a dated PDF, email it, and run the whole pipeline from one button (or on a schedule).
- [How to Protect Your Spreadsheet Data: Best Security Practices for Excel and Google Sheets](https://sheetsguide.com/protect-spreadsheet-data-security-practices-excel-google-sheets/): Protect spreadsheet data in Excel and Google Sheets — control access first, lock cells and protect sheets/ranges, encrypt files, hide formulas, and the security habits that matter most.

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