The ISNUMBER function takes one argument, value, which can be a cell reference, a formula, or a hardcoded value. Typically, value is entered as a cell reference like A1. When value is a number, the ISNUMBER function will return TRUE. Otherwise, ISNUMBER will return FALSE.
Examples
The ISNUMBER function returns TRUE if value is numeric: If cell A1 contains the number 100, ISNUMBER returns TRUE: If a cell contains a formula, ISNUMBER checks the result of the formula: Note: the ampersand (&) is the concatenation operator in Excel. When values are concatenated, the result is text.
Count numeric values
To count cells in a range that contain numbers, you can use the SUMPRODUCT function like this: The double negative coerces the TRUE and FALSE results from ISNUMBER into 1s and 0s and SUMPRODUCT sums the result.
Notes
ISNUMBER will return TRUE for Excel dates and times since they are numeric. ISNUMBER will return FALSE for empty cells and errors.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
