How to Use the IFERROR Function in Excel (Clean Up Formulas)

Ever seen ugly errors like #DIV/0!, #N/A, or #VALUE! mess up your spreadsheet? The IFERROR function is your best friend for handling such issues cleanly.

📌 Syntax:

=IFERROR(value, value_if_error)

• value: The formula or expression to evaluate.
• value_if_error: What to display if the formula returns an error.

💡 Example 1: Handle Division by Zero

Without IFERROR:

=A1/B1 → #DIV/0! (if B1 = 0)

With IFERROR:

=IFERROR(A1/B1, "N/A")

💡 Example 2: VLOOKUP with Missing Data

Without IFERROR:

=VLOOKUP("Item", A2:B10, 2, FALSE) → #N/A

With IFERROR:

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP("Item", A2:B10, 2, FALSE), "Not Found")

🎯 When to Use IFERROR

• Prevent users from seeing raw Excel errors
• Control outputs in dashboards and reports
• Display friendly messages instead of cryptic error codes

🚫 What IFERROR Won’t Catch

• It only handles **formula errors**, not data entry mistakes like blank rows unless they cause an error

✅ Bonus Tip:

Combine IFERROR with other functions like INDEX, VLOOKUP, or DIVIDE to enhance robustness in data models.

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