The #N/A error in Excel can be particularly annoying when one is working on something reasonably productive. This error shows that a value required in a particular formula or function cannot be found. While it may seem to be an obstruction to one’s work, it is usually very easy to overcome after some troubleshooting. In this blog, I would like to identify the causes of the #N/A error, how it can be repaired, as well as the best measures that can enable one to avoid the error in the first place in their Excel spreadsheets.
What is the #N/A error in Excel?
As the name suggests, the #N/A error stands for “Not Available” error, and it occurs when the data that should be there in a particular functional cell is missing. The majority of this type of error is experienced when using some of the lookup functions like VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and other formulas that attempt to find some purchased item within a table but the item omits from the table.
Example:
=VLOOKUP("Apples", A2:B10, 2, FALSE)If “Apples” doesn’t exist in the lookup range A2,
Excel will return #N/A as it couldn’t find the corresponding value.
Common Causes of the #N/A Error
Here are some common reasons why you might encounter the #N/A error in Excel:
- Lookup Value Not Found: The most common cause is that the value you’re searching for doesn’t exist in the specified range.
- Incorrect Lookup Range: Your lookup table or range might be incorrect or missing the value.
- Mismatch in Data Types: The data you’re searching for might have formatting inconsistencies (e.g., numbers stored as text).
- Approximate Match Errors: If you’re using approximate matches in functions like VLOOKUP, the function might fail if the data isn’t sorted correctly.
- Blank or Missing Data: The lookup value could be blank or missing, causing Excel to throw the #N/A error.
How to Fix the #N/A Error in Excel
Now that we understand why the #N/A error occurs, let’s dive into how to fix it:
1. Confirm the Lookup Value You Seek is Present.
One of the simplest things to do in this particular case is to make sure that the lookup value that you effectively want to find does in fact exist in the lookup range.
Steps:
- Search through the lookup range to ascertain the absence or presence of the value to be found.
- If the search fails and the wrong value is found, make the necessary corrections and return to the first formula.
2. Employ Function IFERROR or IFNA
I believe that there are cases where one or more of the lookup values will not be available; therefore, you can use the IFERROR or IFNA functions.
Here’s an example:
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP("Apples", A2:B10, 2, FALSE), "Value Not Found")In this formula, if VLOOKUP returns #N/A, Excel will display “Value Not Found” instead. You can replace the message with whatever suits your needs (e.g., 0 or an empty string "").
Alternatively, you can use IFNA, which specifically targets #N/A errors:
=IFNA(VLOOKUP("Apples", A2:B10, 2, FALSE), "Not Available")3. Identify and correct any data type mismatches.
Often times, a number can be stored as text in Excel or the reverse, and that is why lookups don’t work. To work on this lookup where the other returns #N/A because of this mismatch, ensure that you format the lookup value and the data you are looking up the same way.
Steps:
- Highlight the cells in the lookup column and the value that is being searched.
- Right-click and click Format Cells.
- Make sure that both of them are either number formatted or text formatted consistently.
Inside formulas, it is also possible to convert text into numbers or numbers into text by using the VALUE() or TEXT() functions.
4. Sort data for approximate matches
If you’re using VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP with approximate matches (by setting the last argument to TRUE), make sure your lookup table is sorted in ascending order. If the data isn’t sorted, Excel may return #N/A for values that should have been found.
Steps:
- Sort the lookup table in ascending order by the first column or row.
- Ensure that the last argument of your lookup function is set to
TRUE.
5. Fix Blank or Missing Cells
If your lookup value or lookup range contains blank cells, this can trigger a #N/A error. If your dataset might have missing values, it’s a good idea to handle those cases in your formula.
You can use IF statements to handle blank cells:
=IF(A2="", "Value Missing", VLOOKUP(A2, B2:C10, 2, FALSE))In this example, if A2 is blank, Excel will return “Value Missing” instead of performing the lookup.
Best Practices to Avoid #N/A Errors in Excel
- Use IFERROR or IFNA: Always wrap your lookup functions with
IFERRORorIFNAto handle missing values more gracefully. - Keep Data Consistent: Ensure that your lookup values and data types (text or numbers) are consistent across your dataset.
- Sort Data When Using Approximate Matches: If using approximate matches in your lookup functions, make sure your data is sorted correctly.
- Check for Blanks: Ensure that your lookup values and ranges don’t contain blank cells, or account for them in your formulas.
- Double-Check Spelling: Minor spelling errors in the lookup value can easily lead to a #N/A error. Make sure the search term matches the data exactly.
Final Thoughts
Often, the #N/A value we observe in Excel indicates the absence of some part(s) or there’s some mistake in the lookup formula you are using or in the data you are looking for. This particular one is not terrifying; however, it comes to be quite annoying, especially when it keeps on recurring but one cannot fathom the cause of it. You shall, as a matter of course, save yourself the agony by utilizing the steps described in this brochure. With each of the tips, you will be able to fix first the N/A errors, then improve the way your spreadsheets operate.
Bear in mind that such errors can become quite frustrating, and you may want to ignore them by risking some error-handling methods like IFERROR or IFNA in the future.