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Creating a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value can be done by using the IF function. This function allows you to set a condition and specify the action to be taken if the condition is met. By using the IF function with the CONTAINS function, you can check if a cell contains a specific value and return a desired result. This formula is useful for sorting and organizing data in your Google Sheets spreadsheet. By following the proper syntax and using the correct functions, you can easily create a formula to check for specific values in cells.
Google Sheets: A Simple Formula for “If Contains”
You can use the following formula in Google Sheets to determine if a cell contains a certain string:
=IF(REGEXMATCH(B1,"this"),1,0)
In this example, if cell B1 contains the string “this” then it will return a 1, otherwise it will return a 0.
The following examples show how to use this formula in practice.
Example 1: Use “If Contains” For One String
The following formula shows how to create a new column that returns a 1 if the team name is equal to Lakers and a 0 if the team name is not equal to Lakers:

Note that you can also return string values such as “Yes” or “No” instead of numeric values:

Example 2: Use “If Contains” For One of Several Strings
The following formula shows how to create a new column that returns a 1 if the team name is equal to Lakers or Mavericks and a 0 if the team name is something else:

You can find more Google Sheets tutorials on .
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-simple-formula-in-google-sheets-to-check-if-a-cell-contains-a-specific-value/
stats writer. "How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 29 Apr. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-simple-formula-in-google-sheets-to-check-if-a-cell-contains-a-specific-value/.
stats writer. "How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-simple-formula-in-google-sheets-to-check-if-a-cell-contains-a-specific-value/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-simple-formula-in-google-sheets-to-check-if-a-cell-contains-a-specific-value/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2024.
stats writer. How can I create a simple formula in Google Sheets to check if a cell contains a specific value?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.
