What They Do
MAX returns the largest value from a set of numbers. MIN returns the smallest. These are foundational functions for finding extremes in your data — the highest revenue month, the lowest exam score, the most recent date, or the earliest timestamp. Both functions ignore text and empty cells, focusing only on numeric values.
Syntax
=MAX(value1, [value2, ...])
=MIN(value1, [value2, ...])
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| value1, value2, ... | Numbers, ranges, or cell references to evaluate. You can pass individual values, ranges, or a mix. |
Basic Examples
Find the highest and lowest scores
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Score |
| 2 | 72 |
| 3 | 95 |
| 4 | 88 |
| 5 | 61 |
=MAX(A2:A5)
Result: 95
=MIN(A2:A5)
Result: 61
Find the latest and earliest dates
Dates in Google Sheets are numbers, so MAX and MIN work perfectly with them:
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Order Date |
| 2 | 1/15/2026 |
| 3 | 3/22/2026 |
| 4 | 2/8/2026 |
=MAX(A2:A4)
Result: 3/22/2026 (the most recent date)
=MIN(A2:A4)
Result: 1/15/2026 (the earliest date)
Determine the range of a dataset
The statistical range is simply the difference between the highest and lowest values:
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Temperature |
| 2 | 68 |
| 3 | 74 |
| 4 | 59 |
| 5 | 82 |
=MAX(A2:A5) - MIN(A2:A5)
Result: 23
Advanced Examples
Find the top value by category with MAXIFS
If you need the highest sale for a specific product, use MAXIFS:
=MAXIFS(C2:C100, A2:A100, "Laptop")
This returns the largest value in column C where column A is "Laptop". MAXIFS was introduced to handle conditional maximums without needing complex array formulas. MINIFS works the same way for conditional minimums.
Identify which row holds the max value
MAX tells you the value, but not where it is. Combine with MATCH and INDEX to retrieve related data:
=INDEX(A2:A10, MATCH(MAX(B2:B10), B2:B10, 0))
If column B has sales figures and column A has salesperson names, this returns the name of the person with the highest sales. MATCH finds the position of the MAX value within the range, and INDEX retrieves the corresponding name.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming MAX/MIN include text that looks like numbers. If a cell contains
"42"as text (perhaps from an import), MAX and MIN skip it entirely. Use VALUE or multiply by 1 to convert text-numbers before comparing. - Forgetting that dates are numbers.
=MAX(A2:A10)on a column of dates returns a date, not a number — but only if the cell is formatted as a date. If it shows a serial number like46112, change the format to Date. - Using MAX/MIN when you need the second or third highest. MAX only gives the top value. For the second largest, use
=LARGE(A2:A10, 2). For the second smallest, use=SMALL(A2:A10, 2). LARGE and SMALL accept a rank parameter.
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