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ISNA

The ISNA function checks if the value is the #N/A error (value not available).

Returns TRUE if it is and FALSE if not.

The ISNA function can be useful for correctly handling #N/A errors in formulas, especially when working with lookup functions such as VLOOKUP or MATCH.

Syntax​

ISNA(value)

ArgumentDescriptionPermitted values
valueValue that is compared to the #N/A valueAny value (number, text, formula, cell reference, and so forth)

Examples of use​

Check whether the value in cell A1 is an #N/A error:

=ISNA(A1)

If A1 contains the #N/A error, the function returns TRUE, otherwise it returns FALSE.

Using ISNA function with VLOOKUP and IF functions:

=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B1, A1:A10, 1, FALSE)), "Not found", "Found")

This formula checks whether the VLOOKUP function returned the #N/A error and displays “Not found” if the value is missing or “Found” if it is present.

Notes​

  • The ISNA function is useful for handling errors and preventing calculation failures.
  • If you need to check for other types of errors, you can use the IFERROR function, which checks the argument for all types of errors.