DMAX Function in Excel: Largest Value With a Criteria Table

DMAX Function in Excel: Largest Value With a Criteria Table featured illustration

📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓

⏱ 2 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

DatabaseLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. DMAX in practice
  5. Where you will use it
  6. Worked example
  7. Mistakes people make
  8. Related functions
  9. Continue learning

DMAX returns the largest value in a column among matching rows. It worked in every Excel version long before MAXIFS existed.

Advertisement

Syntax

=DMAX(database, field, criteria)
Argument What it means
criteria A small criteria range: header row copied from the data, conditions in the rows below. Same row = AND, separate rows = OR.

Examples

Example 1

=DMAX(A1:F500, "Amount", H1:H2)

Biggest single order for the product typed in H2.

DMAX in practice

Where you will use it

  • Highest value with editable criteria
  • Top sale by region
  • Database reports

Worked example

Database H1:J6 (Region, Customer, Sales: North 12000, South 8000, North 15000, West 22000, South 9000) with three criteria blocks.

CaseCriteriaFormulaResult
1Region = North=IFERROR(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A2,CritA,CritB,CritC)),"error: "&ERROR.TYPE(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A2,CritA,CritB,CritC))))15000
2Sales > 10000=IFERROR(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A3,CritA,CritB,CritC)),"error: "&ERROR.TYPE(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A3,CritA,CritB,CritC))))22000
3North OR South=IFERROR(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A4,CritA,CritB,CritC)),"error: "&ERROR.TYPE(DMAX(DB,"Sales",CHOOSE(A4,CritA,CritB,CritC))))15000

Results calculated in Excel.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
Criteria headersMust match the database
Modern alternativeMAXIFS

MAXIFS · DMIN

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

⚡ Interactive Practice Lab & Formula Tester:

Test formulas dynamically in our web formula laboratory or download the companion Excel workbook.

Continue learning

All Database guides →
DVAR Function in Excel: Sample Variance of Matching RecordsDVAR returns the sample variance for matching records. Like all D-functions it uses a…DCOUNTA Function in Excel: Count Non-Empty Records Matching CriteriaDCOUNTA counts non-blank entries in a field for records that meet the criteria; unlike…DVARP Function in Excel: Population Variance of Matching RecordsDVARP returns the population variance for matching records. Like all D-functions it uses a…DSTDEVP Function in Excel: Population SD of Matching RecordsDSTDEVP returns the population standard deviation for matching records. Like all D-functions it uses…

📎 Practice files for this article

  • 📗
    Practice workbook: Database (D…) functions6 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.
    ⬇ XLSX · 33 KB

Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.

✨ Ask AI about this article

Stuck on a step? Ask a question and the AI answers using this article.

Free · AI can be wrong