AREAS function

The Excel AREAS function counts the number of areas in a given reference. For example, =AREAS((A1:B1, A2:B2, A3:B3)) returns 3.

How to use the Excel AREAS function

The purpose of the functions is to return the number of areas in a reference. The function is available in Excel 2003 and above.

Areas are separated adjacent ranges. So, in Excel, a single cell reference is equivalent to an area. Using the function, you can add more than one reference as an argument.

Syntax

=AREAS(reference)

Arguments

The AREAS function uses only one argument, cell reference(s).

Examples

In the example below, the formula that uses the AREAS function returns with 1:

=AREAS(C1:D1) = 1

If you want to add multiple references, you should use commas to separate them.

=AREAS((A1:B1, C1:D1)) = 2

Tip: if you use more than one reference, configure the function carefully. Use double brackets; else Excel returns an error:

“You have entered too many arguments for this function.”

use double brackets for multiple references

To fix this formula error, go to the Formula Bar, and add an extra bracket!

Additional resources:

Istvan Vozar

Istvan is the co-founder of Visual Analytics Ltd. He writes blog posts and helps people to reach the top in Excel.