Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Checking for Text.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 18, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Cells in a worksheet can contain either numeric values, text values, or error values. (Some people will mention dates and times as another type of value, but these are nothing but special types of numeric values, as are Boolean values such as True and False.) In some instances, you may need to know whether a particular cell contains a text value or not.
You can use the ISTEXT function to make this determination. For instance, if you need to know if cell B7 contains a text value, you would use the following formula:
=ISTEXT(B7)
The function returns either True or False, depending on the type of value in cell B7. ISTEXT takes a single value, normally a cell reference of some kind. This should be a reference to a single cell; if you use a reference to a range, then the function always returns a False value.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10814) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Checking for Text.
Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!
Two common worksheet functions used to count things are COUNT and COUNTA. Not understanding how these functions treat ...
Discover MoreWant to chop off everything after a certain point in a number? The TRUNC function can help with this need.
Discover MoreVLOOKUP is an oft-used worksheet function to lookup values in a data table. If the function cannot return a value, it ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments