Address of the First Blank Cell in a Column

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 17, 2026)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365

In column A Georgi has several thousand values, with a mixture of numeric and text values. The column can contain blank cells, as well. He wonders if there is a formula he can use that will return the address of the first blank cell in the column.

There are many different formulas you can use to determine the first blank cell. Here are some that will do the trick, arranged from long to short:

=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE,INDEX(A:A="",0),0), COLUMN(A:A))
=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE,INDEX(LEN(A:A)=0,0),0),1)
=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE,INDEX(A:A="",0),0),1)
=CELL("address",XLOOKUP(TRUE,A:A="",A:A,,2))
=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE, EXACT("",A:A),0),1)
="$A$"&MATCH(TRUE,ISBLANK(A:A),0)
=ADDRESS(XMATCH(1,(N(A:A=""))),1)
=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE,A:A="",),1)

Each of these will return the exact same information—the address of the first blank cell in column A. Not all of the functions used in these formulas are available in all versions of Excel. The FILTER and XLOOKUP functions were introduced in Excel 2019, and XMATCH in Excel 2021.

If you would like the address of the first cell that appears blank, then you need to use a different formula. (A cell that appears blank may be the result of a formula returning an empty string.)

=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE, EXACT("", A:A), 0), 1)
="$A$"&@FILTER(ROW(A:.A),A:.A="")
=ADDRESS(XMATCH(1,(N(A:A=""))),1)
=ADDRESS(MATCH(TRUE,A:A="",),1)

Regardless of which formula you choose, remember that if your version of Excel predates Excel 2019, you'll need to enter the formula as an array formula by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13976) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

QuickWords in Word

WordPerfect users coming to Word may miss a feature called QuickWords. This tip examines some ways you can get around the ...

Discover More

Developing Reciprocal Conversion Formulas

When converting between measurement systems, you might want to use two cells for each type of measurement. Make a change ...

Discover More

Consistent Spacing

It is a good idea to make sure that the spacing following each sentence in your document is consistent. Here's a handy ...

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Filling References to Another Workbook

When you create references to cells in other workbooks, Excel, by default, makes the references absolute. This makes it ...

Discover More

Non-adjusting References in Formulas

Sometimes making sure that a reference in a formula doesn't get changed is not as simple as putting dollar signs in front ...

Discover More

Strange Formula Conversions

When you are getting the hang of how to put together formulas in Excel, you might run into a situation where you open a ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 9 - 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.