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ISERR Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Information Intermediate LibreOffice Calc Introduced in LibreOffice 3.0
information error-handling validation logic data-cleaning

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.

Compatibility

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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!.

Related Patterns and Alternatives ▾

  • 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.

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