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.

=IF(COUNTBLANK(A2:D2)>0, "Incomplete", "OK")→Incomplete

Flags a row where any of the four cells is empty.

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

Also catches cells that contain only spaces.

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.

How do I highlight blank cells?

Select the range, then use Conditional Formatting ▸ New Rule with the formula =ISBLANK(A2) and pick a fill color.

How do I fill blank cells with the value above?

Select the range, press F5 and choose Special ▸ Blanks. Type = followed by the up arrow key, then press Ctrl+Enter.

How do I count the blank cells in a range?

Use =COUNTBLANK(A2:A100).

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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