How to Master Google Sheets GROUP BY: Practical Guide

## 1. Manual ways to use Google Sheets GROUP BY### 1.1 QUERY + GROUP BY on a basic tableFor most business owners and marketers, the workhorse is the QUERY function. It lets you use SQL-like syntax on your sheet.**Example scenario:** You have a sheet `Leads` with columns:- A: Date- B: Source- C: Owner- D: Deal Value**Goal:** Total deal value by source.**Steps:**1. Select a blank cell in a summary tab (e.g., `Summary!A1`).2. Enter: `=QUERY(Leads!A1:D, "SELECT B, SUM(D) GROUP BY B LABEL SUM(D) 'Total Value'")`3. Press Enter. You’ll see each source with its summed deal value.This pattern works for counts, averages, and more. Official docs on QUERY: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093343?hl=en### 1.2 Count rows per group**Goal:** Count leads by owner.1. In a blank cell, enter: `=QUERY(Leads!A1:D, "SELECT C, COUNT(D) GROUP BY C LABEL COUNT(D) 'Lead Count'")`2. Adjust `C` to whatever column you want to group by.Use `COUNT(A)` or any non-empty column to count rows.### 1.3 Filtered GROUP BY with WHEREOften you only want active deals or recent dates.**Goal:** Show total value by stage for deals over $5k.1. Assume column E is Stage and D is Deal Value.2. Use: `=QUERY(Leads!A1:E, "SELECT E, SUM(D) WHERE D > 5000 GROUP BY E", 1)`3. The last `1` tells QUERY that the first row is headers.You can combine conditions with `AND`, `OR`, or use date filters as described in the official docs: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093343?hl=en#zippy=%2Cexamples### 1.4 Multiple aggregates per groupSometimes you want several metrics per segment.**Goal:** For each source, show count, total, and average deal value.1. Enter: `=QUERY(Leads!A1:D, "SELECT B, COUNT(D), SUM(D), AVG(D) GROUP BY B", 1)`2. Optionally relabel columns with `LABEL`: `... LABEL COUNT(D) 'Deals', SUM(D) 'Total', AVG(D) 'Avg Deal'`### 1.5 Grouping dates (by month, quarter, year)If you store dates in column A, you can group by month or year using scalar functions.**Goal:** MRR by month.1. Enter: `=QUERY(Subscriptions!A1:C, "SELECT TEXT(A, 'YYYY-MM'), SUM(C) GROUP BY TEXT(A, 'YYYY-MM')", 1)`2. This transforms each date to a `YYYY-MM` string and groups on that.Check the date and scalar function examples here: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093343?hl=en#zippy=%2Cdate-and-time-operators---## 2. No-code automation methods### 2.1 Built-in pivot tables as a visual GROUP BYIf QUERY feels too technical, pivot tables give you GROUP BY behavior via clicks.**Goal:** See deals by owner and stage.1. Select your data range (e.g., `Leads!A1:E`).2. Go to **Insert → Pivot table**.3. Choose **New sheet** and click **Create**.4. In the Pivot editor: - Add `Owner` to **Rows**. - Add `Stage` to **Columns**. - Add `Deal Value` to **Values** and set to **SUM**.Whenever raw data updates, the pivot refreshes with a click. Official pivot docs: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/1272900?hl=en### 2.2 Google Tables-style grouping for ops viewsGoogle’s Tables product (now part of Area 120) shows another style of grouping: visual headers for each value.In Tables you can:- Group by text, number, date, dropdown, person, and more.- Collapse/expand groups to focus on one segment.Docs on grouping in Tables: https://support.google.com/area120-tables/answer/9902873?hl=enIf you mirror your Sheets data into a table (via CSV or automation), you can use these visual groups to triage campaigns, tickets, or projects before pushing aggregated results back into Sheets.### 2.3 No-code integrators (Zapier/Make) creating grouped reportsNo-code tools like Zapier or Make can:- Pull rows from a Sheet.- Aggregate them in a scenario/flow.- Write grouped summaries back to a "Reports" tab.**Example:** Daily revenue by product.1. Trigger: Scheduled daily job.2. Step: Fetch rows from `Sales!A:D`.3. Step: Use built-in aggregators (Group by "Product", SUM "Revenue").4. Step: Clear a range in `Daily Report!A:D`.5. Step: Write the grouped summary rows.This keeps reports evergreen without opening the sheet.---## 3. At-scale, automated GROUP BY with AI agents### 3.1 Simular agent running QUERY workflows end-to-endInstead of you memorizing syntax, a Simular Pro agent behaves like a power user at the keyboard:**How it works:**- You describe the goal: "In Google Sheets, group last 90 days of leads by owner and show count + total value in a new tab." - The AI agent opens your Sheet, duplicates a template tab, writes the appropriate `QUERY` or pivot, formats headers, and checks for errors.**Pros:**- No formula knowledge required.- Works across multiple Sheets, CRMs, and dashboards in one flow.- Every action is logged and inspectable.**Cons:**- Initial onboarding: you must grant access and define guardrails.- Best for repeatable workflows, not one-off experiments.### 3.2 Multi-step reporting pipelinesFor agencies and sales teams, the real power is chaining GROUP BY steps across tools.**Example pipeline an AI agent can run nightly:**1. Export campaign data from ad platforms.2. Paste or import into a raw data tab in Google Sheets.3. Create or update `QUERY`-based GROUP BY reports by channel, creative, and account manager.4. Copy key tables into a client-facing dashboard Sheet.5. Email or Slack the fresh summary link.**Pros:**- Eliminates repetitive cross-tool clicking.- Scales from one client to hundreds with the same logic.**Cons:**- Requires initial design of the “canonical” report structure.### 3.3 Continuous refinement using transparent executionBecause Simular agents are transparent, you can open the workflow, see the exact formulas and clicks used, then tweak:- Change grouping columns.- Adjust thresholds in WHERE clauses.- Add new summary tabs.The agent then replays this improved workflow reliably, turning your best analyst’s logic into a repeatable, autonomous process.