What is current selection in Google Sheets?

Current Selection is part of the SQL-like QUERY function language in Google Sheets. QUERY reads a range with SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, ORDER BY, and LABEL clauses instead of nested spreadsheet functions.

When to use it

Use QUERY clauses when you want SQL-style filtering, grouping, or labels on a table in one formula.

When to skip it

Skip QUERY when FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE already express the logic with less string syntax to maintain.

Better Sheets resources

Related Tutorials

Watch how current selection works

Browse more tutorials
Highlight Row as You Move Your Cell Selection

Highlight Row as You Move Your Cell Selection

Checking data? This script changes bg color of entire row as you move yo...
Allow Multiple Selections is in Google Sheets Yay!

Allow Multiple Selections is in Google Sheets Yay!

Now you can select multiple options in a dropdown. Hip Hip Hooray!
Google Sheets Interface Changes

Google Sheets Interface Changes

Showing off New experiences in smart canvas changes to sheets. Including...
Google Sheets Easter Eggs Beyond PRIDE

Google Sheets Easter Eggs Beyond PRIDE

Going beyond PRIDE, to show you some undocumented google sheets hacks th...
The First Thing I Do When Starting a Google Sheet

The First Thing I Do When Starting a Google Sheet

Are you tired of the default look of your Google Sheets? In this video, ...
Curate Google Sheets Easily - Automatic Bookmarklet Maker

Curate Google Sheets Easily - Automatic Bookmarklet Maker

Curated sites, articles, and more web resources super easily into a Goog...

Related blog posts

Guides that explain current selection in more depth.

Browse the blog

Related terms

Done reading about current selection?

Membership unlocks 637+ tutorials, unlimited generators, and every template. Practical lessons. Zero fluff.

Need this once

Jump to a free tool or a single tutorial for this topic.

Learning Sheets for real

Unlock the full library, generators, and templates with membership.