Which function do you use to find the number of items in a list, including blank cells?

The function used to find the number of items in a list, including blank cells, is COUNTA(). This function counts all the non-empty cells in a specified range, meaning it considers cells that contain any kind of data such as text, numbers, or dates.

In this context, when there are blank cells in a list, COUNTA() will still include those cells in its count, as it is designed to count every instance of data that is entered, regardless of whether it contains a value or is empty. This makes it the ideal choice for determining the total number of items, emphasizing its utility in various data analysis scenarios.

Other functions, such as COUNT(), focus solely on cells containing numeric data and do not account for blank cells or those with text. COUNTIF() is useful for counting cells that meet a specific criterion but is not designed to count all items, including blanks. SUM() is used for adding numerical values, making it irrelevant for counting items in a list. Thus, COUNTA() is clearly the best option to find the total number of items, inclusive of any blanks.