Contact
12 programs
Explore the site

ISERR Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Information Intermediate LibreOffice Calc Introduction not established

The ISERR function in LibreOffice Calc checks whether a value results in an error, excluding the #N/A error. It is essential for error handling, data validation, and building resilient formulas where #N/A should be treated differently.

Verification status: Consult the documentation, examples and any stated test scope below. How formula examples are checked

Availability and version history

  • Introduced: Documented by LibreOffice 26.8.1.1; original introduction not established.
  • Availability: Supported in LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, verified against its function registry. This identifies a supported release, not a final working version.
  • Scope: Desktop Calc, using the English function name. Availability in other spreadsheet applications is separate.
  • Checked: 2026-10-14 — function reference; versioned support. Documentation/source check; not a new native test. Existing example-specific test claims below retain their stated scope.
The **ISERR** function checks whether a value results in an error *other than* `#N/A` in LibreOffice Calc. It detects errors such as `#VALUE!`, `#REF!`, `#DIV/0!`, `#NAME?`, and others — but intentionally excludes `#N/A`. ISERR is essential when `#N/A` represents a meaningful “not found” state rather than a true error.

What the ISERR Function Does

  • Returns TRUE for all errors except #N/A
  • Returns FALSE for valid numbers, text, logical values, blanks, and #N/A
  • Useful when #N/A should be treated as a valid state
  • Works with literals, formulas, and references

It is designed to be precise, selective, and useful for nuanced error handling.

Syntax

ISERR(value)

Arguments

  • value:
    Any value, expression, or cell reference.

Basic Examples

Check if A1 contains an error (excluding #N/A)

=ISERR(A1)

Check a division that may fail

=ISERR(A1 / B1)

TRUE if B1 = 0.

Check a literal error

=ISERR(#REF!)

Returns TRUE.

Check #N/A specifically

=ISERR(#N/A)

Returns FALSE.

Advanced Examples

Wrap a VLOOKUP but treat #N/A as valid

=IF(ISERR(VLOOKUP(A1; B1:C10; 2; 0)); "Error"; VLOOKUP(A1; B1:C10; 2; 0))

Detect invalid references but ignore missing data

=ISERR(INDIRECT(A1))

TRUE if A1 contains an invalid reference.

Validate numeric conversion but allow #N/A

=ISERR(VALUE(A1))

TRUE for invalid numeric text, FALSE for #N/A.

Detect errors in array formulas

=ISERR(SUM(A1:A10 / B1:B10))

TRUE if any B cell is zero.

Check for errors before performing calculations

=IF(ISERR(A1); ""; A1 * 2)

Combine with ISNA for full error classification

=IF(ISNA(A1); "Not found"; IF(ISERR(A1); "Error"; "OK"))

Use ISERR to distinguish lookup failures from real errors

=IF(ISERR(VLOOKUP(A1; B1:C10; 2; 0)); "Bad data"; "OK")

Edge Cases and Behavior Details

ISERR catches all errors EXCEPT #N/A

  • Caught:

    • #REF!
    • #VALUE!
    • #DIV/0!
    • #NAME?
    • #NUM!
    • #NULL!

  • NOT caught:

    • #N/A

ISERR vs ISERROR vs ISNA

  • ISERROR → catches all errors
  • ISERR → catches all errors except #N/A
  • ISNA → catches only #N/A

ISERR on a blank cell

=ISERR(A1)

Returns FALSE.

ISERR on a formula returning ""

=ISERR("")

Returns FALSE.

ISERR on text

=ISERR("text")

Returns FALSE.

Common Errors and Fixes

ISERR returns TRUE unexpectedly

Cause:

  • Formula returns #REF!
  • Division by zero
  • Invalid reference in INDIRECT
  • Text passed to VALUE

Fix:
Validate inputs or wrap with IFERROR/IFNA.

ISERR returns FALSE unexpectedly

Cause:

  • Value is #N/A
  • Value is text
  • Value is blank
  • Value is a number
  • Formula returns ""

ISERR used on a range

=ISERR(A1:A10)

Returns a single TRUE/FALSE in array context; use SUMPRODUCT to scan ranges.

Best Practices

  • Use ISERR when #N/A is meaningful (e.g., “not found”)
  • Use ISERROR when all errors should be treated the same
  • Use ISNA to detect #N/A specifically
  • Validate inputs before risky operations
  • Use ISERR with INDIRECT, VALUE, and division formulas
ISERR is perfect when you want to treat “not found” (#N/A) as a valid state — while still catching real errors like #REF! or #VALUE!.
  • Use ISERROR to catch all errors
  • Use ISNA to detect #N/A
  • Use IFERROR for simplified error handling
  • Use TYPE to inspect value types
  • Use IF to build custom error logic

By mastering ISERR and its companion functions, you can build nuanced, error‑aware spreadsheets in LibreOffice Calc.

Reproducible example (tested in LibreOffice Calc)

This standalone example was calculated in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.3.2 and matched the expected value. It is a practical cross-check of one usage, not proof that every example elsewhere on this page is correct.

=ISERR(1/0)

Expected result: TRUE.

Identify an error other than #N/A.

If the result differs, check the referenced cells, argument separators and number formatting. For more information, consult the LibreOffice Calc official help.