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How to highlight cells that contain errors in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Conditional formattingExcel & Google Sheets
=ISERROR(A2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Result |
| 100 |
| #N/A |
| 250 |
| #DIV/0! |
=ISERROR(A2)→FALSE
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Step by step
- 1Select the range that may contain formula errors, e.g. A2:D50.
- 2Open Conditional Formatting and choose 'Use a formula'.
- 3Enter =ISERROR(A2), pick a bold highlight color like red, and save. Every cell returning any error type will be flagged.
Tips
- To highlight only #N/A errors (common with VLOOKUP), use =ISNA(A2) instead of ISERROR for more targeted highlighting.
Need it for your exact data?
Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between ISERROR and ISERR?
ISERR returns TRUE for all errors except #N/A, while ISERROR catches every error type including #N/A. Use ISERROR when you want to catch all error types.
More on Conditional formatting
See all →How-to
How to highlight duplicate values
Highlight duplicate cells automatically with Conditional Formatting using a COUNTIF rule — no formulas to copy manually.
How-toHow to highlight cells greater than a value
Use Conditional Formatting with a simple greater-than rule to automatically color cells that exceed a threshold value.
How-toHow to highlight the highest value in a range
Color the maximum value in a range automatically using a Conditional Formatting rule based on the MAX function.
How-toHow to highlight the lowest value in a range
Color the minimum value in a range using a Conditional Formatting rule built on the MIN function.
How-toHow to highlight blank cells
Use conditional formatting with ISBLANK to automatically highlight empty cells in your spreadsheet for easy visual identification.
How-toHow to highlight cells that contain specific text
Use conditional formatting with SEARCH or ISNUMBER(SEARCH()) to highlight any cell containing a specific word or phrase automatically.