OR checks multiple conditions and returns TRUE when at least one condition is met. It returns FALSE only when none of the listed conditions are true.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel for the web when a rule should pass if this condition or that condition is true.
Use a basic OR formula
On its own, OR returns TRUE or FALSE.
- Click an empty cell.
- Enter a formula such as =OR(A1=”Open”,A1=”Pending”).
- Press Enter.
- Add more tests separated by commas, such as =OR(A1=”Open”,A1=”Pending”,A1=”In Review”).
Only one listed condition has to be true for OR to return TRUE.
Combine OR with IF
This is the most common practical use.
- Enter a formula such as =IF(OR(A1=”Open”,A1=”Pending”),”Needs Action”,”No Action Needed”).
- Use the OR part for the test.
- Use IF to decide what text, number, or calculation to show.
- For numbers, use a rule like =IF(OR(B1100),”Out of Range”,”OK”).
More control
OR versus AND
OR needs at least one condition to be true. AND needs every condition to be true. Mixing them up is a common cause of formulas that seem backwards.
Nest OR and AND
You can combine them for rules like status is Open and priority is High or Urgent. Use parentheses carefully so Excel evaluates the logic you intend.
Use OR in conditional formatting
Create a rule with a formula such as =OR($A1=”Open”,$A1=”Pending”) to highlight rows where either status applies.
Text comparisons ignore case
OR(A1=”open”) matches Open, OPEN, and open. Normal Excel text comparisons are not case-sensitive.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – OR function (2025)
- Microsoft Support – AND function (2025)
- Microsoft Support – IF function (2025)