What is col notation in Google Sheets?
Col Notation is part of the SQL-like QUERY function language in Google Sheets. QUERY reads a range with SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, ORDER BY, and LABEL clauses instead of nested spreadsheet functions.
When to use it
Use QUERY clauses when you want SQL-style filtering, grouping, or labels on a table in one formula.
When to skip it
Skip QUERY when FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE already express the logic with less string syntax to maintain.
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QUERY
QUERY runs a SQL-like statement against a range of cells and returns a new table of results. You pass a data range, a query string with SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, and optional headers. It is the fastest way to filter, sort, group, and pivot sheet data without helper columns.
Read guide →SQL-style queries (QUERY)
The QUERY function runs a SQL-like statement against a range in your sheet. You SELECT columns, filter with WHERE, sort with ORDER BY, and aggregate with GROUP BY without building many helper columns. It is the closest native option to a small in-sheet database query.
Read guide →FILTER
FILTER returns only the rows from a range that meet one or more conditions. Conditions are boolean arrays the same height as the data. FILTER spills results automatically, so it replaced many INDEX/SMALL helper-column patterns for live subsets.
Read guide →Done reading about Col notation?
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