Understanding the ISERROR Formula

The ISERROR function in Excel checks whether a value is any type of error, returning TRUE if an error is present and FALSE otherwise. It's a comprehensive error detection tool for formula validation—like creating robust calculations that handle any potential errors gracefully.

ISERROR(A1) evaluates cell A1 and returns TRUE if it contains any error value including #N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, or #NULL!. It takes a value argument and performs complete error detection—ideal for creating error-proof formulas that maintain data integrity regardless of input problems.

Why Use ISERROR?

ISERROR enables comprehensive error handling—think bulletproof formulas or cleaner reports. Its ability to catch all error types makes it perfect for use with IF statements to create formulas that display readable messages or default values instead of unsightly error codes in final outputs.

Example with Sample Data

ISERROR catches all errors: TRUE for any error type including #N/A, FALSE only for non-errors. Combined with IF, you can create graceful error handling like =IF(ISERROR(formula), 'Check your data', formula). It's a universal error detector.