I’m working with a Google Sheets formula that looks like this: =QUERY(A1:D8; "select (D * 50 / A) + 25"). The problem is that the column header shows up as something like sum(quotient(product(50.0()))25.0()) which is really confusing and not user-friendly at all. I need to change this automatic header to something more descriptive that actually makes sense to people reading the spreadsheet. Is there a way to override these generated column names and replace them with custom text that explains what the calculation actually represents? I’ve been searching for a solution but can’t figure out the right approach to make the header more readable.
You can also use column aliases with the LABEL clause - super helpful for complex calculations. Your formula becomes: =QUERY(A1:D8; "select (D * 50 / A) + 25 label (D * 50 / A) + 25 'Performance Score'"). This works great when you’ve got multiple calculated columns since you can label each one differently. Just make sure the expression in your label clause matches exactly what’s in the select clause. I use this all the time for financial dashboards where formulas get messy. Having clear headers like ‘Revenue Growth Rate’ instead of random text makes life way easier for anyone who needs to read the data fast.
To customize the column headers in your Google Sheets QUERY function, use the label clause in your query. Append it to your existing formula like this: =QUERY(A1:D8; "select (D * 50 / A) + 25 label (D * 50 / A) + 25 'Descriptive Header'"). Replace ‘Descriptive Header’ with a name that clearly explains your calculation, such as ‘Adjusted Score’ or ‘Calculated Value’. This allows you to maintain a clean, single formula while improving header clarity.
just add a label clause to your query: =QUERY(A1:D8; "select (D * 50 / A) + 25 label (D * 50 / A) + 25 'Your Custom Header'"). makes the headers way clearer!