ISERROR function
ISERROR returns TRUE for any error value, such as #N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0! or #NAME?. Use it to count or flag rows where a calculation failed. When you just want a fallback value, IFERROR does the same job in fewer keystrokes.
- Available in
- Every current version
- Category
- Information functions
- Returns
- TRUE if the value is any error, FALSE otherwise.
- Google Sheets
- Available in Google Sheets with the same argument.
Syntax
=ISERROR(value)
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
value | Required | The value, cell or formula to test. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| E2 | =IF(ISERROR(B3/C3),"No visits",B3/C3) | No visits | Zero visits would give #DIV/0!, so the text shows instead |
| F2 | =SUMPRODUCT(--ISERROR(B2:B5/C2:C5)) | 2 | Two rows fail: one divides by zero, one divides by text |
| G2 | =IF(ISERROR(MATCH("Uptown",A2:A5,0)),"Not a store","Listed") | Not a store | MATCH returns #N/A for a missing name |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| Store | Sales | Visits | Airport per visit | Rows that fail | Uptown listed? | |
| Downtown | 4200 | 350 | No visits | 2 | Not a store | |
| Airport | 1800 | 0 | ||||
| Mall | 3100 | n/a | ||||
| Harbor | 2650 | 290 |
Practice ISERROR
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Price per unit, safely
D2, use ISERROR to return the price per unit (B2 divided by C2), or 0 if the division fails. Fill down to D7.Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| It hides problems you needed to see | ISERROR is TRUE for every error, including #REF! from a deleted column and #NAME? from a typo. Use ISNA when you only mean "not found". |
| The formula is written twice | IF(ISERROR(x),"",x) calculates x twice. IFERROR(x,"") gives the same result in one step. |
Tips
- Highlight broken rows with conditional formatting: =ISERROR($D2).
Questions
What is the difference between ISERROR and IFERROR?
ISERROR only tests and returns TRUE or FALSE. IFERROR returns the value, or a fallback if it's an error, so it's shorter for the common case.
What is the difference between ISERROR, ISERR and ISNA?
ISERROR catches every error. ISERR catches every error except #N/A. ISNA catches only #N/A.
How do I count errors in a range?
=SUMPRODUCT(--ISERROR(D2:D50)) counts every cell in D2:D50 that holds an error.
Last reviewed October 2026. Every example result on this page is calculated live by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.