Using “If cell contains #N/A” as a formula condition.

calendar_today Asked Jan 7, 2014
thumb_up 41 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Input the following formula in C1: =IF(ISNA(A1),B1,A1*B1) Screenshots: When #N/A: When not #N/A: Let us know if this helps. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #12th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2014.


The Problem (Q-score 21, ranked #12th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2014

I need help on my Excel sheet. How can I declare the following IF condition properly?

if A1 = "n/a" then C1 = B1
else if A1 != "n/a" or has value(int) then C1 = A1*B1

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds elite answer (top 10 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — elite answer (top 10 %%) (+41)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

Input the following formula in C1:

=IF(ISNA(A1),B1,A1*B1)

Screenshots:

When #N/A:

enter image description here

When not #N/A:

enter image description here

Let us know if this helps.


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #12th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 88% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2014 and 2026

The answer is 12 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this answer the top decile of Excel VBA Q&A?
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Answer score +41 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~13; this entry is elite. The score plus 21 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+21) means the asker and 40 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

Published around 2014 — what’s changed since?
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Published 2014, which is 12 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #11?
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The pattern one rank above is “How to create a link inside a cell using EPPlus”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 21, Answer-score 41, original post 2014, ranked #12th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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