As your data in Google Sheets grows with new entries added daily, it can become tedious to constantly scroll to the bottom of columns to view the most recent values.
But guess what? Getting the last value in a column in Google Sheets doesn’t have to be a manual process, thanks to some simple formulas. Whether your columns contain numbers, text, or a mix, being able to automatically surface the latest data can save you time and effort.
In this beginner-friendly tutorial, you’ll learn step-by-step how to use formulas to conveniently find the last value in a column in Google Sheets. In this guide, we’ll cover examples for columns containing numbers and text.
After reading this post, you’ll have a handy trick to view the most up-to-date data in your constantly expanding spreadsheets.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Copy Sample Sheets to Find Last Value in a Column In Google Sheets
In case you want to follow along with today’s tutorial on how to find the last value in a column in Google Sheets, feel free to copy our sample data via the link below.
Click Here to Copy the Sample Sheet with all the Formulas
If you have your own spreadsheet, you can simply replicate the steps we will show you shortly.
Pull the Last Number in a Column (When Your Data is Made Up of Numbers)
As discussed in the introduction, when you have a column filled with numbers that continue to grow as you add data over time, you likely want an easy way to view the most up-to-date figure without endless scrolling.
In this section, we will show you how to seamlessly find the last value in a column in Google Sheets using a simple formula.
We will use the following sample data to demonstrate how you can find the last number in a column in Google Sheets.
Now that we have our data all sorted out, let’s show you how to go about it.
Step 1: Choose a Blank Cell
Before applying the formula that will show us how to find the last value in a column in Google Sheets, we first need to choose a blank cell. This is where the result of the last value will be generated.
So for this particular example, we will select cell E2.
Step 2: Enter Formula
Having selected the cell where you want the result for the last value in a column in Google Sheets to be generated, let’s quickly enter the formula to find the last number in our spreadsheet.
To do that, navigate to the formula bar and type in the following formula:
=INDEX(C:C,MATCH(143^143,C:C))
Step 3: Press Enter
Once you enter the formula like we showed you in the previous step. All you need to do is press the Enter button on your keyboard. Google Sheets will automatically generate the last number in the selected cell.
You should have something like this if you did everything exactly how we showed you.
Note: This formula works well even if there are empty cells in your data. It finds the last number in a column. If there’s a text string after the last number in a cell, the formula still gives you the numeric value.
Understanding How the Formula Works
The formula we used above may look complicated, but it’s a clever trick to get the last value in a column in Google Sheets. Here’s what’s happening in simple terms:
- MATCH(143^143,C:C) looks down Column C for 143^143. This huge number likely doesn’t exist there.
- Since it can’t find 143^143 in Column C, MATCH instead returns the position of the last cell with data.
- INDEX(C:C,…) then uses that position to say, “get me the value at that last cell location” in Column C.
An example:
If Column C has 74 cells filled with data, MATCH can’t find 143^143, so it gives us the position – 74.
INDEX then grabs the actual value in C74, which would be the last entry made.
Instead of complex math, think of it as:
- Ask for an impossible value -> get the last location
- Use the location to return the real last value
We hope this explanation provides a better understanding of the formula we used.
Find the Last Text in a Column in Google Sheets
In the previous section, we reviewed how to use the INDEX/MATCH formula to extract the last number in a column in Google Sheets. But what if your column contains text instead of numerical figures?
This section will show you how to find the most recently entered text value. For this particular example, we will use the following sample data.
Now, let’s look at how to find the most recently entered text value.
Step 1: Choose A Blank Cell
As we did in the previous example, we must choose a blank cell in our spreadsheet. This is where we want the result of the most recent text value to be generated. For this example, we will select cell C2.
Step 2: Enter Formula
Now that we have selected an empty cell where we want the latest text value to be generated. Let’s quickly navigate to the formula bar and type in the following formula:
=INDEX(A:A,MATCH(“zzzz”,A:A))
Step 3: Press Enter
With your formula now entered correctly, press the Enter button on your keyboard. The result of the last text value will be instantly generated in the selected cell.
Here is what ours looks like:
Understanding the formula we used
The formula we used above works similarly to how we extracted the last number. It searches for some text that is unlikely to exist, so it returns the position of the last real value instead.
In this case, we asked the formula to find “zzzz” down the column. Since “zzzz” would not actually appear in any customer names, the search goes all the way to the bottom.
When it can’t find the made-up “zzzz” entry, it gives us back the number position of the last real customer name entered instead.
While the formula looks complex behind the scenes, the logic is simple: search for something fake to locate the last actual entry.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to extract the last value in a column in Google Sheets can save you significant time – whether you need to quickly check daily figures or ensure you are viewing up-to-date text strings.
And in today’s guide, we showed you how to go about it.
Now that you know how to use formulas like the INDEX/MATCH function to find the last value in a column in Google Sheets, you can spend less time manually searching and more time focused on the newest data.
While the specifics may differ slightly depending on whether you have numeric or textual data, the overall process remains straightforward:
- Use a formula to identify the position of the last filled cell
- Return the value in that last cell
No complicated sorting or endless scrolling required.
As your data expands over the long run, being able to conveniently surface the latest additions allows for more informed, timely decisions based on your most current information.