However, the ISBLANK function is a useful tool that can help simplify this process.

What Is Excel’s ISBLANK Function?

It is commonly used in Excel formulas and conditional formatting to see if a cell is empty or not.

Excel worksheet showing how to use the ISBLANK function

If cell A2 contains any value, even an empty string, the function will return “FALSE”.

it’s possible for you to modify the formula or formatting options as needed to achieve the desired effect.

Here are a few examples.

Conditional formatting drop-down menu

In this example, the IF function checks whether cell A2 is blank using the ISBLANK function.

If A2 is blank, the function returns anN/A.

If A2 is not blank, the function returns the value of A2 multiplied by 2.

ISBLANK formula in the Rule description box

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you have a table with two columns:NameandEmail.

You want to filter the table to show only rows where the Email column is blank.

This formula will return only the rows without emails, filtering out all other rows.

Dialog box showing various color formatting options

A common mistake is failing to account for blank cells in your formulas and calculations.

Excel sheet showing IF and ISBLANK functions in action

An example combining FILTER with ISBLANK