Conditional Logic

Excel formula for Flag or handle blank cells

Show a label when a cell is empty, otherwise keep the value.

Copy this formula

=IF(A2="", "Missing", A2)

How the formula works

Comparing a cell to "" (empty string) detects blanks. IF then returns your placeholder for empties and the original value otherwise — useful for clean reports and avoiding gaps.

Examples

=IF(B2="", "—", B2)→—

Replaces empty cells with a dash.

Other ways to do this

Catch formula errors too

=IFERROR(A2, "Missing")

Returns the fallback when A2 is an error.

FAQ

Should I use ISBLANK or =""?

ISBLANK is TRUE only for truly empty cells; ="" also treats zero-length strings (from formulas) as blank. Pick based on your data.

Related formulas

Return a value if a cell contains text Assign grades or tiers with nested logic

Functions used

IF ISBLANK IFERROR

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