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ISERR Function
Summary
The ISERR function in Excel detects whether a value represents any error except the #N/A error. It returns TRUE for errors like #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, or #NULL!, but returns FALSE for #N/A errors and non-error values.
Syntax
ISERR(value)Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| value | Any |
Yes | The value, cell reference, formula, or expression to check for non-#N/A errors |
Using the ISERR Function
ISERR is perfect for error checking scenarios where you need to distinguish between #N/A errors and other error types. Use it with IF statements to handle specific errors differently from #N/A conditions, which often indicate legitimate 'value not available' situations in lookup operations.
Common ISERR Examples
Basic ISERR with Division Error
=IF(ISERR(A2/B2), "Division error", A2/B2)Displays 'Division error' for #DIV/0! but shows actual result when valid
Distinguish #REF! from #N/A
=IF(ISERR(C5), "Other error", IF(ISNA(C5), "Data missing", C5))Handles #REF! as 'Other error' and #N/A as 'Data missing'
Testing Formula Results
=ISERR(VLOOKUP(D2, A:B, 2, FALSE))Returns TRUE if VLOOKUP produces any error except #N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Errors and Solutions
ISERR returns FALSE for #N/A
Cause: By design - ISERR excludes #N/A errors
Solution: Use ISERROR for all errors or ISNA for #N/A specifically
Text values treated as non-errors
Cause: ISERR only detects Excel error values
Solution: Use ISTEXT or ISNUMBER for data type checking
Notes
- ISERR catches: #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, #NULL!
- Does NOT catch: #N/A errors
- No automatic type conversion - "19" returns FALSE
- Ideal companion to ISNA for complete error coverage
Compatibility
Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365
Not available in: Excel 2003 and earlier
Content last reviewed: December 11, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+