Excel errors are signals. Knowing what they mean lets you fix formulas fast.
#N/A — No Result Found (Not Always an Error)
Meaning: The formula ran correctly, but no match or no result was found.
Common cause:
- Lookup value doesn’t exist (VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, MATCH)
- FILTER returns nothing
Example
=XLOOKUP(A2, A:A, B:B)If A2 isn’t found → #N/A
Fix (if expected sometimes):
=IFNA(XLOOKUP(...), "Not Found")#VALUE! — Wrong Data Type
Meaning: Excel can’t perform the operation with the data provided.
Common causes:
- Math on text
- Incorrect function arguments
- Hidden spaces in numbers
Examples
="10" + 5 → #VALUE!=LEFT(A2, "two") → #VALUE!Fix
- Convert text to numbers
- Check argument types
- Use
TRIM/VALUE
#REF! — Invalid Cell Reference
Meaning: The formula refers to a cell that no longer exists.
Common cause:
- Deleting a column/row used in a formula
Example
=VLOOKUP(A2, A:C, 3, FALSE)If column C is deleted → #REF!
Fix
- Undo deletion
- Rebuild the reference
- Use Tables or structured references to prevent this
Quick Summary
#N/A→ Nothing found (often expected in lookups)#VALUE!→ Wrong data type used in formula#REF!→ Reference to deleted/missing cells
Recognize these fast → fix formulas faster.
Joshua Bowen's Notes 