Google Sheets QUERY Formula Builder

Quick answer: To filter and sort data in Google Sheets with one formula, use =QUERY(range, "SELECT col WHERE condition ORDER BY col", headers) — for example =QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, B WHERE C > 100 ORDER BY B DESC LIMIT 10", 1) returns columns A and B for every row where column C is over 100, sorted by B, top 10. Text values in WHERE use single quotes (WHERE B = 'Apple'); numbers are unquoted.

Pick your data range, the columns to show, any WHERE filters, sorting and a row limit — this builder writes the exact =QUERY() formula for Google Sheets with the SQL-like query string quoted correctly. Add as many filter conditions as you need and copy the result.

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, B", 1)

Data range (include headers) Columns to show (SELECT) Order by (optional) Direction Limit rows (optional) Header rows

WHERE conditions (filters)

How this QUERY builder works

The QUERY function runs a small SQL-like query over a range. The second argument is a text string with clauses in a fixed order: SELECT (which columns), WHERE (filter rows), ORDER BY (sort), LIMIT (cap rows). The third argument is how many header rows your range has (usually 1).

SELECT uses column letters as they sit in the range, not header names — SELECT A, C, or SELECT * for every column.
WHERE compares a column to a value. Numbers are written plain (WHERE C > 100); text must be wrapped in single quotes (WHERE B = 'Apple'). Combine filters with AND / OR.
contains / starts with / ends with do partial text matching — WHERE B contains 'red'.
ORDER BY sorts, add DESC for largest-first.
LIMIT returns only the first N rows.

The builder above quotes text values and assembles the clause order for you, so you only paste and go.

Common ready-to-paste examples

Show columns A and B for rows where column C is over 100:

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, B WHERE C > 100", 1)

Filter by a text value (remember single quotes):

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, B WHERE B = 'Apple'", 1)

Top 10 rows by column D, highest first:

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, D ORDER BY D DESC LIMIT 10", 1)

Partial text match with contains:

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT * WHERE C contains 'invoice'", 1)

Two conditions combined with AND:

=QUERY(A1:D, "SELECT A, B, C WHERE C > 100 AND B = 'Open'", 1)

FAQ

Why does my QUERY say 'unable to parse query string'?

Almost always a quoting problem: text values in WHERE must use single quotes, like WHERE B = 'Apple', and clause order must be SELECT, then WHERE, then ORDER BY, then LIMIT. The builder above fixes both automatically.

How do I reference columns in QUERY?

Inside the query string you use column letters as they appear in the range (A, B, C...), not the header text. Use SELECT * to return every column.

Can QUERY filter by text containing a word?

Yes — use contains, starts with or ends with, e.g. WHERE B contains 'red'. These are case-insensitive partial matches.

What does the last number in QUERY mean?

It is the number of header rows in your range. Use 1 if your data has a single header row, or 0 if it has none.