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How to find the nth non blank cell in Excel?

How could you find and return the nth non blank cell value from a column or a row in Excel? This article, I will talk about some useful formulas for you to solve this task.

Find and return the nth non blank cell value from a column with formula

Find and return the nth non blank cell value from a row with formula

arrow blue right bubble Find and return the nth non blank cell value from a column with formula

For example, I have a column of data as following screenshot shown, now, I will get the third non blank cell value from this list.

doc find nth non blank 1

Please enter this formula: =INDEX($A$1:$A$25,SMALL(ROW($A$1:$A$25)+(100*($A$1:$A$25="")), 3))&"" into a blank cell where you want to output the result, D2, for example, and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to get the correct result, see screenshot:

doc find nth non blank 2

Note: In above formula, A1:A25 is the data list that you want to use, and the number 3 indicates the third non blank cell value which you want to return, if you want to get the second non blank cell, you just need to change the number 3 to 2 as you need.

arrow blue right bubble Find and return the nth non blank cell value from a row with formula

If you want to find and return the nth non blank cell value in a row, the following formula may help you, please do as this:

Enter this formula: =INDEX($A$1:$M$1,SMALL(IF($A$1:$M$1<>"",COLUMN($A$1:$M$1)-COLUMN($A$1)+1),4)) into a blank cell where you want to locate the result, and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to get the result, see screenshot:

doc find nth non blank 3

Note: In above formula, A1:M1 is the row values that you want to use, and the number 4 is the fourth non blank cell value which you want to return, if you want to get the second non blank cell, you just need to change the number 4 to 2 as you need.

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juri casentini
juri casentini
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CIAO STO CERCANDO DI APPLICARE LA TUA FORMULA MA NON MI FUNZIONA, DOVE STO SBAGLIANDO?
=INDICE($K$37:$K$88;MIN(RIGHE($K$37:$K$88)+RIGHE(100*($K$37:$K$88=""));6))&""
DEVO VISUALIZZARE L'ENNESIMA RIGA DIVERSA DA VUOTO

GRAzie
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juri casentini
juri casentini     juri casentini
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=INDICE($K$37:$K$88;MIN(RIGHE($K$37:$K$88)+(100*($K$37:$K$88=""));6))&""
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Andy
Andy
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I'm running this formula on a ~400 row sheet with around 20 blanks mixed throughout the data, and it's working perfectly EXCEPT when I fill the series down, it sometimes duplicates a row for some reason. For example, it seems to think a value is somehow simultaneously the 331st non-blank and the 332nd.

Things I've noticed:
-Duplications always happen in pairs (ex. 331 and 332 are duplicates, 333 and 334 will also be), then it goes back to normal for a while.
-Raw data also has blanks in pairs, but not corresponding to the duplicates
-No duplications occur in the first 94 rows, but they happen every 33-35 rows after that
-Does not appear to be linked to the value in the cell being duplicated
-I have entered as an array and as a standard formula, no difference in function

For reference, here's my actual formula:

=INDEX('PO Raw Data'!CR:CR,SMALL(ROW('PO Raw Data'!CR:CR)+(100*('PO Raw Data'!CR:CR="")),$W2)&"")

Note $W2 refers to a helper column and counts up as the data set is filled down, but only because I couldn't get it to count up when I just used a number instead of cell reference.
When I've replaced that cell reference (ex. $W2) with the appropriate number, same result.


Any thoughts on what I can do to fix that?
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Shirazi
Shirazi
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very helpful,
although when I return the nth non blank cell in a column set to DATE, the returned value appears as number(general number).formatting the cell into DATE also doesn't change the result. could you please give me a hand!
thanks a lot
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skyyang
skyyang     Shirazi
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Hello, Shirazi,
Sorry, maybe there is no direct formula for you to get the date format.

If someone else has the solution, please comment here.
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John
John
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Hi everyone!


Could you also help me return the row number of the second, third non-blank cell?


Please help me.
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skyyang
skyyang     John
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Hello, John,
the following formula can help you to get all the row numbers of the non-blank cells, please try it, thank you!
=IFERROR(ROW(INDEX($A$1:$A$12,SMALL(INDEX(NOT(ISBLANK($A$1:$A$12))*ROW($A$1:$A$12),0),COUNTBLANK($A$1:$A$12)+ROW(A1)))),"")
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Jerry
Jerry
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Hey everyone,

I have a table with numerous columns and rows. The rows have range names, and a description/location at the beginning of the row range with its own range, example "Building No.s". There are multiple Row Ranges/ Buildings. There are headers at the top of each columns for specific "Building Assembly Types". The table content is numeric quantities for each type "Building Assembly Type" for each specific "Building" description/location. There could be as many as (100) "Building Assembly Types" column headers but I will limit the assemblies to (10) per row range, so there will be numerous blank cells in each "Building No." range.

I have other summary tables set up for each "Building" that I want to pull the non-blank cells quantities to, along with the corresponding header "Assembly Type" for each "Building" with a (10) max "Assemblies" per page.

I can identify the non-blank cell quantities by use of the array formula above for rows. The problem I am having is identifying the header that corresponds to it.

Ultimately if I can identify the "Assembly" header, I can always index the "Quantities" once I have the header "Assembly" identified for each "Building". Then I would be able do a lookup for all the parts associated with each "Assembly" type for that "Building" from my Assembly parts database and multiply it times the "Quantity" of each assembly type.

Hopefully this makes since and someone can help.
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noel
noel
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Hello, I am looking for the third blank row in a column and I copied your formula and just changed the range from $A$1:$A:$25 to my range $D$306:$D$354. But when I change the range I get #REF! as my answer. I already converted to an array, control-shift-enter. Now the cell range I am referencing has formulas in them, so could that be why I am getting #REF. Your formula: =INDEX($A$1:$A$25,SMALL(ROW($A$1:$A$25)+(100*($A$1:$A$25="")), 3))&"" My formula: =INDEX($D$306:$D$354,SMALL(ROW($D$306:$D$354)+(1*($D$306:$D$354="")), 2))&"" Thanks, Noel
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sumit pandey
sumit pandey     noel
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you have put the 1 instead of 100 therefore answered was wrong. please use below formula

INDEX($D$306:$D$354,SMALL(ROW($D$306:$D$354)+(100*($D$306:$D$354="")), 3))&"" than ctrl + shift+enter
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