How to Use the COUNTIF Function for Partial Matches in Excel (3 Methods)

Dataset Overview

We’ll use the following dataset. It contains several Book Name along with their respective details.

Method 1 – Use the COUNTIF for Partial Matches

Choose the cell where you want the count of books. For example, let’s select cell C16.
In cell C16, enter the following formula:

=COUNTIF(D5:D12,"*"&C15&"*")

Press Enter to get the result.

We use the COUNTIF function with the cell range D5:D12 as the range and “*” & C15 & “*” as the criteria.
The formula counts the number of cells in the range D5:D12 that partially match the value in cell C15.

Method 2 – Employing COUNTIF for Partial Matches

The COUNTIFS function allows counting based on multiple criteria. Let’s explore two examples:

2.1. Apply COUNTIFS for Partial Matches

Choose the cell where you want the count of books.
In the selected cell, enter:

=COUNTIFS(D5:D12,"*"&C15&"*")

Press Enter to get the Count of Books.

Here, in the COUNTIFS function, we selected cell range D5:D12 as criteria_range1 and “*”&C15&”*” as criteria1. The formula will return the number of cells in cell range D5:D12 that contains the value in cell C15.

2.2. Utilizing COUNTIFS for Partial Matches with Multiple Criteria

Choose the cell where you want the Count of Books.
In the selected cell, enter:

=COUNTIFS(D5:D12,"*"&C15&"*",D5:D12,"*"&C16&"*")

Press Enter to get the Count of Books.

We use COUNTIFS with two criteria ranges: D5:D12 and the same wildcard pattern for both C15 and C16.
The formula counts cells that partially match both values.

Method 3 – Using IF and COUNTIF for Genre Comparison

Apart from counting, you can check if a specific genre exists. Here’s how:

Choose the cell where you want the status (e.g., cell D5).
In cell D5, enter:

=IF(COUNTIF(C5,"*"&$F$5&"*"),"Genre Found","Not in search Genre")

Press Enter to get the result.

How Does the Formula Work?

COUNTIF(C5,”*”&$F$5&”*”): counts cells matching the criteria.
The IF function returns “Genre Found” if true, or Not in search Genre if false.

Drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula.

Below is the desired result:

Alternative to COUNTIF Function for Partial Match in Excel

Instead of using the COUNTIF function, you can use a combination of several functions to achieve the same type of operation. This alternative formula utilizes the SUMPRODUCT function, the ISNUMBER function, and the SEARCH function. Let’s walk through the steps:

Choose the cell where you want the count of books. For example, let’s select cell C16.
In cell C16, enter the following formula:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(C15,D5:D12))))

Press Enter to get the Count of Books.

How Does the Formula Work?

SEARCH(C15,D5:D12): The SEARCH function looks for the criteria value (C15) within the specified range (D5:D12). It returns the starting position of the search text if found, or an error otherwise.
ISNUMBER(SEARCH(C15, D5:D12)): The ISNUMBER function checks whether the result of the SEARCH function is a number. It returns a boolean value (True or False).
–(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(C15, D5:D12))): We use two unary operators (–) to convert the boolean value into 1 or 0.
SUMPRODUCT(–(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(C15, D5:D12)))): The SUMPRODUCT function processes this array and returns the total sum.

Note: Instead of SUMPRODUCT, you can use the SUM function. However, in that case, you’ll need to press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to execute the formula.

Practice Section

We have provided a practice sheet for you to practice how to use the COUNTIF function for a partial match in Excel.