Excel OR Function: How to Test Either Condition in Excel

If you’ve ever needed to check if at least one of several conditions is true in your Excel data, you’re not alone! Many business professionals I work with want to quickly spot exceptions, flag risks, or identify opportunities—without having to manually check every row.

That’s where the Excel OR function comes in. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that can help you work smarter and make faster, more informed decisions.

Imagine you’re reviewing a list of sales transactions. Maybe you want to highlight any deal that’s either above a certain value or offered with a special discount. Or perhaps you’re tracking project tasks and want to flag any that are overdue or still pending approval.

Without the right formula, you could easily miss something important or spend ages double-checking your work.

In this guide, I’ll show you how the OR function can take the guesswork out of these situations.

You’ll learn exactly what the function does, how to use it in real business scenarios, and how to combine it with other Excel tools like IF and the AND function to save time and reduce errors.

I’ll also walk you through common mistakes and how to fix them, so you can use OR with confidence every day.

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What Does OR Do?

The OR function returns:

• TRUE if any condition is met.
• FALSE only if all conditions fail.

Syntax

=OR(logical1, [logical2], …)

logical1, logical2, …: These are the conditions you want to test (e.g. A2>100, B2=”Yes”). You can test up to 255 conditions in one formula.

Example 1: Flag Sales Below Target or High Discount

When analysing monthly sales, it’s vital to identify products that require attention—perhaps sales are below target or discounts are unusually high. Manually scanning each row is both slow and prone to errors. The Excel OR function streamlines this process by checking both conditions at once.

For example, you can instantly flag any product with sales under $150k or a discount above 25%. This not only saves time but also ensures you never miss a key issue.

Formula: =OR(A2<150, B2>25)

Explanation: Returns TRUE if sales are under 150 or the discount is over 25%.

Business Scenario: Instantly flag products that are either high performers or have high discounts.

Skill Level: Beginner

Example 2: Use OR with IF Function for Clear Results

Sometimes, a simple TRUE or FALSE isn’t enough—you want your spreadsheet to give a clear, business-friendly answer like “Discount” or “No Discount.” This is where combining the OR function with IF really shines.

For example, you might want to offer a discount if a customer’s purchase exceeds $200 or if they hold Gold status. By using =IF(OR(A2>=200, B2=”Gold”), “Discount”, “No Discount”), Excel checks both conditions and returns a clear result for each row.

This approach makes your reporting more meaningful, easier to read, and much faster to update as your criteria change.

Formula: =IF(OR(A2>=200, B2=”Gold”), “Discount”, “No Discount”)

Explanation: If the revenue is at least $200k or the customer status is Gold, return “Discount”; otherwise, return “No Discount”.

Business Scenario: Ideal for applying discounts based on either revenue or loyalty status.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Example 3: OR Function in Conditional Formatting

Conditional Formatting in Excel is a brilliant tool for making your data visually meaningful. Instead of scanning through rows to spot issues or trends, you can set up rules that automatically highlight cells or rows when certain conditions are met.

By combining Conditional Formatting with the OR function, you can flag any entry that matches one or more criteria—such as tasks that are either overdue or pending, or sales figures that are below target or above a set threshold.

Formula: =OR(A2=”Pending”, B2=”Delayed”)

Explanation: Checks if status is “Pending” or “Delayed”.

Business Scenario: Highlight tasks that are either pending or delayed in a project tracker.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Example 4: Combine OR with AND for Flexible Logic

Business rules aren’t always straightforward. Sometimes, you need to check that one key condition is met, but you also want to allow for several possible options in another field. This is where combining the AND and OR functions in Excel proves to be so powerful.

For example, you may want to filter for active accounts based in either New Zealand or Australia. By using =AND(A2=”Active”, OR(B2=”NZ”, B2=”AU”)), you can ensure both criteria are checked at once.

Formula: =AND(A2=”Active”, OR(B2=”NZ”, B2=”AU”))

Explanation: Returns TRUE if the account is “Active” and the region is either “NZ” or “AU”.

Business Scenario: Filter active accounts that are based in New Zealand or Australia.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Troubleshooting Excel OR Function

When working with the Excel OR function, you might occasionally run into unexpected results or error messages. Understanding the most common issues and how to resolve them will help you use the OR function with confidence and accuracy. Let’s look at some typical problems and their solutions.

#VALUE! Error

This error usually occurs when one of the arguments in your OR formula isn’t a valid logical expression.

Example:
=OR(A2>100, B2<“Discount”)

This will fail because “Discount” is text, not a number.

Fix: Ensure that all conditions compare numbers or valid text values accurately. For text, use = or <>.

Unexpected FALSE Result

The OR function only returns TRUE if at least one condition is met. If all conditions are FALSE, the result will be FALSE.

Example:
=OR(A2=”Yes”, B2=”Approved”)

Fix: Check your data and conditions to ensure at least one can be TRUE.

Missing Parentheses

Every opening bracket must have a closing bracket. Missing parentheses will cause Excel to show an error or misinterpret your formula.

Example:
=OR(A2=”Yes”, B2=”Approved”

Fix:
=OR(A2=”Yes”, B2=”Approved”)

Excel OR Function FAQs

Q. Can OR test more than two conditions?
A. Yes, you can test up to 255 conditions in one formula.

Q. Does OR work alone?
A. Yes, but it’s often combined with IF or AND for more powerful logic.

Q. What’s the difference between OR and AND?
A. OR returns TRUE if any condition is met; AND returns TRUE only if all conditions are met.

Q. Can I use OR in Conditional Formatting?
A. Absolutely! OR is perfect for highlighting rows or cells when any of your chosen conditions are met.

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Related Functions

• AND — Combine multiple conditions (all must be TRUE)
• IF – Single condition checks
• IFS – Test multiple conditions in order, returning the first TRUE result
• NOT – Negate a condition

Conclusion: Excel OR Function

The OR function makes it easy to check multiple conditions at once, helping you work faster and with greater confidence.

With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to spot exceptions, flag risks, and make smarter decisions in your spreadsheets.