The ISBLANK function is a simple way to check whether a cell is empty or not.
It’s a pretty straightforward function that is very easy to use.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to use the ISBLANK function in Google Sheets.
Table of Contents
ISBLANK Syntax
The ISBLANK function will check whether a cell is empty
The syntax of the ISBLANK function is:
ISBLANK(value)
- value – this is the cell reference that will be checked to see if it is empty. The function will return TRUE if value is empty and FALSE if value contains data
Using ISBLANK
ISBLANK is most often used in combination with other functions like IF statements.
Let’s take a look at some basic examples of using ISBLANK, and then we can take a look at combining ISBLANK with other functions.
As you can see in the example above, it’s a very easy function to use. It only has one argument which is the cell reference that you want to check for whether it contains a blank. If the cell is blank, the formula results in TRUE, if the cell is not blank the formula results in FALSE.
Now let’s take a look at how ISBLANK might be useful by combining it with other functions.
One way that we can use ISBLANK is by combining it with the IF function to control for blank cells.
Here is an example:
What this formula does is if my cell is blank, the IF function will return a blank cell, if the cell is not blank, then run my other calculation (A2+B2).
This is a good way to avoid making calculations on blank cells because you can skip them entirely by using this combination of IF and ISBLANK
Closing Thoughts
The ISBLANK function is a pretty straightforward formula that only requires one argument, which is the cell to perform the check on. When you start to combine this function with other functions like an IF statement, you unlock its true potential.
Hopefully, you found this helpful.
More Google Sheets Tutorials:
How to Count Blank Cells
How to Use the ISNA Function