Learn Google Sheets: Master the OR Function Quickly

The OR function is one of the most essential tools in Google Sheets, helping you create dynamic formulas that respond to different conditions. Whether you need to categorize data, calculate values based on criteria, or automate decision-making, mastering the OR function will significantly elevate your spreadsheet skills. 

In this article, you’ll learn how to use OR effectively, along with easy-to-understand examples to apply in real-world scenarios.

Check out this video-tutorial:

Let’s start with overviewing what we will work with.

We have such a table that contains Month, Channel, Customer type and Transaction Revenue columns. 

OR function

How it works

The formula is very simple:

=OR(logical_expression1, [logical_expression2],..])

There may be more than one logical expression in the same formula, the sky’s the limit. 

By using this formula, we can discover whether a certain logical expression is actually true or false. For example, if the values in the cells are equal to something or if they are more (or less) than something, or any other complex calculation. 

The result the OR formula returns is programmed to be either TRUE or FALSE. 

Writing the formula

Here are auxiliary columns that contain unique Channel and Customer type titles. In this example, I intended to check whether the cell B2 is not equal to the cell J2. However, the result, as we can see, is FALSE, because the content of the two cells is the same. 

Let’s lock the cell J2 in the formula by transforming it into =OR(B2<>$J$2). 

Here’s the result – all the logical expressions, except the ones containing a cell with “Paid Social” in the syntax, returned TRUE, as all of them confirmed not being equal to the cell J2. 

Two conditions – not equal and equal

Let’s add one more condition and check if the cell C2 equals the cell I2 by using this formula:

=OR(B2<>$J$2;C2=$I$2)

And in the same cell, where we had a FALSE result, the new result will be TRUE. 

You may ask “Why, if the first logical statement is still false?”. My answer will be – if at least one logical statement is correct, the result will always be TRUE. 

More or less than a numeric value

Let’s extend the existing formula again by adding one more logical expression – the transaction revenue is less than 50.000:

=OR(B2<>$J$2;C2=$I$2;D2<50000)

Useful trick

If you don’t want the result to be only TRUE or FALSE, try inserting your OR formula into IF formula, stating the values in case the logical expressions are correct or incorrect. 

Conclusion

The OR function in Google Sheets is a simple yet powerful tool that helps marketers perform various tasks easier, quicker and more effectively.

There are some other articles about Google Sheets functions you may have missed – IF function, IFS function and AND function, check them out now!

Hope this article was interesting and useful for you – don’t hesitate to ask your questions and leave your impressions in the comments section!