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How to vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 or N/A in Excel?

Normally, when you apply the vlookup function to return the corresponding value, if your matching cell is blank, it will return 0, and if your matching value is not found, you will get an error #N/A value as below screenshot shown. Instead of displaying the 0 or #N/A value, how can you make it show blank cell or other specific text value?

The matching cell is blank: 0 is displayed The matching value is not found: N/A value is displayed

Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 with formulas

Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of N/A with formulas

Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 or N/A with a powerful feature


Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 with formulas

Please enter this formula into a blank cell you need:

=IF(LEN(VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,0))=0,"",VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,0))

And then press Enter key, you will get a blank cell instead of the 0, see screenshot:

Notes:

1. In the above formula, D2 is the criterion which you want to return its relative value, A2:B10 is the data range you use, the number 2 indicates which column that the matched value is returned.

2. If you want to return a specific text instead of the 0 value, you can apply this formula: =IF(LEN(VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,0))=0,"Specific text",VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,0)).


Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 or N/A error value in Excel

Kutools for Excel's Replace 0 or #N/A with Blank or a Specific Value utility helps you to return and display the blank cell or specific value if the vlookup result is 0 or #N/A value. Click to download Kutools for Excel!

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Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of N/A with formulas

To replace the #N/A error with blank cell or other custom value if your searched value is not found, you can use the below formula:

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,FALSE),"")

And then, press Enter key to get the result you need, see screenshot:

Notes:

1. In this formula, D2 is the criterion which you want to return its relative value, A2:B10 s the data range you use, the number 2 indicates which column that the matched value is returned.

2. If you want to return a specific text instead of the #N/A value, you can apply this formula: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B10,2,FALSE),"Specific text").


Vlookup to return blank or specific value instead of 0 or N/A with a powerful feature

If you have Kutools for Excel, with its Replace 0 or #N/A with Blank or a Specific Value feature, you can solve this task quickly and easily.

Tips:To apply this Replace 0 or #N/A with Blank or a Specific Value feature, firstly, you should download the Kutools for Excel, and then apply the feature quickly and easily.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as this:

1. Click Kutools > Super Lookup > Replace 0 or #N/A with Blank or a Specific Value, see screenshot:

2. In the Replace 0 or #N/A with Blank or a Specific Value dialog box:

  • (1.) Specify the lookup value and output range as you need;
  • (2.) Choose the returned result as you need, you can select Replace 0 or #N/A value with empty option or Replace 0 or #N/A value with a specified option;
  • (3.) Select the data range and the corresponding key and returned column.

3. Then, click OK button, the certain value you are specified in step 2 has been displayed instead of the 0 or # N/A error value, see screenshot:

Click to Download Kutools for Excel and free trial Now!


More relative articles:

  • Vlookup Values Across Multiple Worksheets
  • In excel, we can easily apply the vlookup function to return the matching values in a single table of a worksheet. But, have you ever considered that how to vlookup value across multiple worksheet? Supposing I have the following three worksheets with range of data, and now, I want to get part of the corresponding values based on the criteria from these three worksheets.
  • Vlookup And Return Matching Data Between Two Values
  • In Excel, we can apply the normal Vlookup function to get the corresponding value based on a given data. But, sometimes, we want to vlookup and return the matching value between two values, how could you deal with this task in Excel?
  • Vlookup And Return Multiple Values From Drop Down List
  • In Excel, how could you vlookup and return multiple corresponding values from a drop down list, which means when you choose one item from the drop down list, all of its relative values are displayed at once as following screenshot shown. This article, I will introduce the solution step by step.
  • Vlookup Values Across Multiple Worksheets To Return Sheet Names
  • Supposing, I have multiple worksheets and each sheet contains a list of names, now, I want to vlookup the names in a master sheet and return the matching sheet names where the names are located as following screenshot shown. How could you solve this task in Excel?
  • Vlookup And Return Multiple Values Without Duplicates
  • Sometimes, you may want to vlookup and return multiple matched values into a single cell at once. But, if there are some repeated values populated into the returned cells, how could you ignore the duplicates and only keep the unique values when returning all matching values as following screenshot shown in Excel?

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Comments (27)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
can i amend formula =IF(VLOOKUP($C4,Sheet2!$F:$F,1,0),"1") to display result as "1" and #N/A as blank?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hello, eggs
To splve your problem, please apply the below formula:

=IFNA(IF(LEN(INDEX($B$2:$B$19,MATCH(E2,$A$2:$A$19,0)))=0,"1",VLOOKUP(E2,IF({1,0},$A$2:$A$19,$B$2:$B$19),2,0)),"")


Please try, hope it can help you!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
is it possible to get this formula to return result as 1 and #N/A as blank?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi, in my vlookup im getting zero and NA now i want to format the zero and NA to blank and also to have one formula that is going to cater all the cells instead of having 3difference formulas i want the formula i use to then know if its its NA OR Zero to automatic put a blank but still reveals' the exact answer
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hello, zodwa,
To return the blank results for both the 0 values and errors, you should apply the below formula:
=IFNA(IF(LEN(INDEX($B$2:$B$12,MATCH(D2,$A$2:$A$12,0)))=0,"",VLOOKUP(D2,IF({1,0},$A$2:$A$12,$B$2:$B$12),2,0)),"")


https://www.extendoffice.com/images/stories/comments/comment-skyyang/doc-vlookup-errors-1.png

Please have a try, hope it can help you!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Very helpful, thanks
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I think this is a good solution but is there a way around the problem that if I use it and then COUNTA() on the cells where the formula is created it counts those cells with "".
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I am not a tech guru - I just want to add to my formula that if it does not find anything in the cell - it gives an accounting 0 that will be acknowledged in my total formula. =VLOOKUP(F4,Sponsorships1,2,FALSE)
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
for blank values the LEN function is converting true zero's from the lookup data to blank. Any ideas on how to bring true zeros across and only convert the blanks to blank?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi, Besty,
The above Len function just convert blanks to blank, and it keeps the real 0 when applying it. please try it again.
Or you can insert an attachment here to describe your problem.
Thank you!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thank you, it worked!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thanks sky yang - This is awesome!

I applied the formula you provided and I changed the cell references but now I'm getting #N/A instead of 0 or a negative symbol.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
This is my formula. I can't get results to report a "-" instead of a zero. I don't want a zero I'd like accounting format for a zero. Please help.
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP($A13,'All Exp Posted'!$A$1:$B$100,2,FALSE)),"0",VLOOKUP($A13,'All Exp Posted'!$A$1:$B$100,2,FALSE))
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
all you need to do is set the cell setting to accounting and remove the " in the last part.

=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP($A13,'All Exp Posted'!$A$1:$B$100,2,FALSE),0)

as you can see there is no quotation mark next to the zero, because adding the quotation marks sets the value as text.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi, laura,

If you want to get the result "- " instead of a zero, please apply the following formula:
=IF(LEN(VLOOKUP(E1,A2:B10,2,0))=0,"-",VLOOKUP(E1,A2:B10,2,0)).

Please change the cell references to your need.
Please try it, hode it can help you!

Thank you!
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