# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel Formulas & Functions >  >  Vlookup to return blank cell instead of #N/A

## randell.graybill

HI, is there anyway to have a vlookup formula display a blank cell instead of #N/A if the value it was looking for is not found.  For example the first spreadsheet contains the persons name say Bob, the 2nd spreadsheet that the vlookup formula is searching does not contain the name Bob right now excel shows #N/A but what I want it to show is a blank cell.  I've tried conditional formating to just white out the text if #N/A appears but can't seem to get that to work...any ideas?

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## martindwilson

if(iserror(your vlookup up),"",your vlookup)

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## randell.graybill

says:  You may not use references to other worksheets or workbooks in conditional formating criteira

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## martindwilson

not conditional formatting ! change your formula to as shown
=if(iserror(vlookup(a1,b1:d100,3,false)),"",vlookup(a1,b1:d100,3,false))
if you want conditional formatting use 
formula is
=ISERROR(A1)

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## randell.graybill

ok thanks got it works.

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## venugopal.p

Hi, i am tring to open a content with restricted permission file ....But it is not opening how to break this ...please

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## venugopal.p

Hi, how to open an *content with restrict permission* files....

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## martindwilson

venugopal dont hijack threads,

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## tralindrela

> not conditional formatting ! change your formula to as shown
> =if(iserror(vlookup(a1,b1:d100,3,false)),"",vlookup(a1,b1:d100,3,false))
> if you want conditional formatting use 
> formula is
> =ISERROR(A1)



This worked wonders for me, ty!

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## John90

This is Excel Tutorial video: How to replace # N/A in Excel with 0 or blank cell (E.x: Vlookup, Hlookup, If functions)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInFQZsKLK0

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## Pepe Le Mokko

6 year old thread....

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