Excel LET: Name the Parts of a Formula
By Szabó Gergő · Updated
LET assigns names inside a formula. Use it when the same expression appears twice or the formula is hard to read.
Syntax and arguments
=LET(name1, value1, [name2, value2, ...], calculation)- name1
- A name you will use in the calculation.
- value1
- The expression stored under that name.
- calculation
- The final result, which can use the names.
LET examples
01
Reuse a lookup
XLOOKUP used twice.
=LET(p,XLOOKUP(G2,A2:A100,D2:D100),IF(p>10,p*0.9,p))The lookup runs once. p is the price.
02
Readable window
This-month sum.
=LET(start,DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY()),1),end,EOMONTH(TODAY(),0),SUMIFS(B2:B200,A2:A200,">="&start,A2:A200,"<="&end))Start and end are named dates.
03
Filter then sort
Microsoft 365.
=LET(paid,FILTER(A2:C100,B2:B100="Paid"),SORT(paid,3,-1))paid is the filtered array, then SORT uses it.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the final calculation
The last argument is the result, not another name-value pair.
Names that look like cell refs
Avoid names like A1. Use price, start, paid.
Using LET in Excel 2016
LET needs Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021.
LET FAQ
LET vs a helper cell?
Helper cells are easier to audit. LET keeps the logic in one cell.
Does LET work in Sheets?
Google Sheets also has LET with similar syntax.
Can names be arrays?
Yes. FILTER and XLOOKUP results can be stored and reused.