The Problem (Q-score 5, ranked #112th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2012
I am trying to find a function that will return the number of cells within a given range that have a number in them. I want to count the number of responses that people gave, irregardless of the value they entered in the cell.
How do I do this?
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+14)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
If you are looking for a number of cells containing numeric values, then COUNT() function is what you’re looking for:
=COUNT(A1:D6)
If you are looking number of cells with non-blank values (numeric or otherwise), then COUNTA() is the right function:
=COUNTA(A1:D6)
The last formula works only if none of the cells have empty strings as values (i.e. none of the cells in the range have ="" or something equivalent in them). If that is the case, then this formula should be used instead:
=SUMPRODUCT((E7:G10<>"") * 1)
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #112th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 96% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2012 and 2026
The answer is 14 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.