📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
In this article
ISTEXT returns TRUE for text — the quickest way to find numbers or dates that were imported as text.
Syntax
=ISTEXT(value)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
value |
A cell. |
Examples
Example 1
=SUMPRODUCT(--ISTEXT(E2:E500))How many “amounts” are actually text.
ISTEXT in practice
Where you will use it
- Find numbers stored as text
- Validate codes
- Data cleaning
Worked example
| Value | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | =ISTEXT(A2) | TRUE |
| 123 | =ISTEXT(A3) | FALSE |
| 123 | =ISTEXT(A4) | TRUE |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Text numbers look like numbers | Use ISTEXT to find them, then VALUE |
| Empty strings from formulas | "" is text |
Related functions
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Information (IS…) functions15 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 34 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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