Data analysis function selection

Best Excel Functions for Data Analysis

A practical guide to the Excel functions analysts use for cleaning, summarizing, looking up, and interpreting data.

Functions analysts use most

  • Use XLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH to join tables and retrieve records.
  • Use SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, and AVERAGEIFS to summarize data by multiple conditions.
  • Use FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, and TEXTSPLIT to reshape and clean modern Excel datasets.

How to choose the right function

  • Use lookup functions when the question is about finding a matching record.
  • Use conditional aggregation when the question is about totals, counts, or averages by segment.
  • Use dynamic array functions when the output should spill into multiple rows or columns.