When a given formula in excel generates an error, we can use the IFERROR function to get a custom result, as well as a standard result when there is no error detected. This function is fundamental to those who want to avoid the complicated nested IF function to trap and manage errors. This post provides an illustrative guide on how to use the Excel IFERROR function to trap and manage error.
Figure 1: How to use IFERROR function in excel
General syntax of the formula
=IFERROR (value, value_if_error)
Where;
- value –refers to the value, reference or formula you are using to check for the error
- value_if_error- refers to the value to return if error is found
Understanding the formula
The IFERROR function is fundamental when it comes to managing errors generated by formulas and other functions. This function will check for the following errors; #N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, NAME? and #NULL!
Example
Figure 2: Showing error as “N/A” in excel using IFERROR function
In this example, we want the result of the formula to be “N/A” where an error is encountered. To do this, we simply specify in the formula as shown
=IFERROR(A2/B2,"N/A")
With this, every cell that brings an error will be replaced by “N/A”.
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