Google Sheets MULTIPLY Function: Syntax, Examples & Tips

What Is MULTIPLY?

MULTIPLY returns the result of multiplying two numbers together. It is the named-function equivalent of the asterisk operator: =MULTIPLY(A2, B2) gives the same answer as =A2*B2.

How MULTIPLY Relates to the * Operator

Google Sheets provides a function for each basic arithmetic operator:

The key limitation is that MULTIPLY accepts exactly two arguments. The * operator can be chained (=A2*B2*C2), and the PRODUCT function accepts any number of values and ranges. MULTIPLY is best thought of as a readable alias for a single multiplication.

Basic Examples

Multiply two numbers

=MULTIPLY(12, 4)

Returns 48.

Price times quantity

=MULTIPLY(B2, C2)

Returns the line total for a unit price in B2 and a quantity in C2.

Apply a rate

=MULTIPLY(D2, 0.2)

Returns 20% of the value in D2, for example a tax or commission amount.

Nesting for more than two factors

=MULTIPLY(MULTIPLY(B2, C2), 1-D2)

Calculates price × quantity × (1 − discount). For readability, =B2*C2*(1-D2) or =PRODUCT(B2, C2, 1-D2) is usually better.

How MULTIPLY Handles Inputs

• Blank cells are treated as 0, so the result is 0.
• Booleans are converted: TRUE is 1 and FALSE is 0. =MULTIPLY(B2, C2="Yes") returns B2 when C2 is "Yes" and 0 otherwise.
• Numbers stored as text that look numeric are generally coerced to numbers, but text that can't be read as a number causes a #VALUE! error.
• Ranges: MULTIPLY expects single values. To multiply two columns row by row use =ARRAYFORMULA(B2:B100*C2:C100), and to multiply and add in one step use SUMPRODUCT.

Common Use Cases

• Invoices and order forms: Unit price × quantity.
• Commission and tax: Amount × rate.
• Unit conversions: Kilometres × 0.621371 to get miles.
• Scaling: Apply a growth factor to a forecast.
• Readable formulas for non-technical users: Spelling out MULTIPLY can make a shared template easier to follow.

Common Errors

• Too many arguments: =MULTIPLY(A2, B2, C2) returns an error because MULTIPLY only takes two factors. Use PRODUCT or chained *.
• #VALUE!: One of the inputs is text that can't be interpreted as a number, such as "12 units". Clean it with VALUE, or strip the text with REGEXREPLACE.
• Passing a range: =MULTIPLY(B2:B10, 2) without ARRAYFORMULA won't return a column of results. Wrap it, or use the * operator inside ARRAYFORMULA.
• Result of 0: Usually a blank input cell. Check for empty references.

Tips and Best Practices

• For two values, * and MULTIPLY are interchangeable; pick one style and use it consistently across a workbook.
• Use PRODUCT when multiplying three or more values or a whole range.
• Use SUMPRODUCT to multiply two columns and total the results in one formula (=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B100, C2:C100)).
• Format the result cell (currency, percent) rather than rounding inside the formula, unless you need the rounded value downstream.

Related Functions

ADD, MINUS, DIVIDE, PRODUCT, SUMPRODUCT, POW, and UMINUS.