How to use the ISNONTEXT function

What is the ISNONTEXT function?

The ISNONTEXT function returns TRUE if value is not text and FALSE if the cell content is a text value. It also returns TRUE if cell is empty.

1. Introduction

What data types can a cell in Excel contain?

A cell can contain these types of data:

• Numbers: Whole numbers, decimals, dates, and times.
• Text: Alphanumeric characters, such as words, phrases, and sentences.
• Formulas: Mathematical expressions that perform calculations and return a value.
• Errors: Error messages that occur when a formula or function is invalid or cannot be calculated.
• Blank: An empty cell that contains no data.

What is a Boolean value?

A Boolean value in Excel is a value that can only be TRUE or FALSE. It represents binary logic and is the result of a logical expression using logical operators or a result of a few Excel functions.

Mastering Boolean logic and logical expressions is key to manipulating data and controlling workflow in Excel.

What is non text?

Excel tries to identify inserted values automatically, text values are left-aligned. Boolean values and error values are centered in cells, and numerical values are right-aligned. This automatic formatting is really useful, however, an Excel user may change the formatting which makes it impossible to see what type of data a cell contains. Further analysis is needed to accurately determine the data type. The ISNONTEXT function is one of many tools to identify the data type.

Cells containing anything except text values evaluates to TRUE by the ISNONTEXT function. The ISNONTEXT function lets you check a value in a formula instead of visually identify values by their position in a cell.

Other IS functions

Excel Function	Description
ISBLANK(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is empty, FALSE otherwise
ISERR(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is any error value except #N/A, FALSE otherwise
ISERROR(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is any error value, FALSE otherwise
ISEVEN(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is an even number, FALSE for odd numbers
ISFORMULA(reference)	Returns TRUE if the cell contains a formula, FALSE otherwise
ISLOGICAL(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is a logical value (TRUE/FALSE), FALSE otherwise
ISNA(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is the #N/A error, FALSE otherwise
ISNONTEXT(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is not text, FALSE if it is text
ISNUMBER(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is a number, FALSE otherwise
ISODD(value)	Returns TRUE if the value is an odd number, FALSE for even numbers

2. Syntax

ISNONTEXT(value)

value

Required. The value you want to check if not text.

3. Example 1

The image above shows a worksheet with values populated in column B, they are all left-aligned by me. The first cell B3 contains "A" which is a text value. The function returns FALSE in cell C3 because the value is a text value.

The second cell B4 contains "1" which is a numerical value. The function returns TRUE in cell C4 because the value is NOT a text value.

The third cell B5 contains TRUE which is a boolean value. The function returns TRUE in cell C5 because the value is NOT a text value.

Cells B6 to B9 contain errors, the function returns TRUE in cells C6:C9 because the values are NOT a text values.

Cell B10 contains FALSE which is also a boolean value. The function returns TRUE in cell C10, FALSE is not a text value.

Formula in cell C3:

The ISNONTEXT function is very useful to identify error values in arrays. Most Excel functions return the same error value, however, this function returns FALSE if it encounters an error.

4. Example 2

This example demonstrates an Excel 365 dynamic array formula that extracts non text values from cell range B3:B10. The formula spills values automatically to adjacent cells if needed as far as necessary.

Cell range B3:B10 contains the following values: Blue, 1, Green, Black, #N/A, Concrete, Stone, FALSE

Formula in cell D3:

The formula in cell D3 returns 1, #N/A, and FALSE. These are not text values, the first value 1 is a numerical vale, the second value #N/A is an error value, and the third value FALSE is a boolean value.

Explaining formula

Step 1 - Determine if the data type is non text

ISNONTEXT(B3:B10)

returns

{FALSE;TRUE;FALSE;FALSE;TRUE;FALSE;FALSE;TRUE}

Step 2 - Filter non text values

The FILTER function extracts values/rows based on a condition or criteria.

Function syntax: FILTER(array, include, [if_empty])

FILTER(B3:B10,ISNONTEXT(B3:B10))

becomes

FILTER(B3:B10,{FALSE;TRUE;FALSE;FALSE;TRUE;FALSE;FALSE;TRUE})

and returns {1;#N/A;FALSE}

5. Example 3

This example shows how to filter rows that contain at least one non text cell value. The source data is in cell range B3:D12 and contains made up data in these columns: Product, Region, and Size.

Formula in cell F3:

The formula filters the data in cell range B3:D12 and returns the following rows B4:D4, B8:D8, and B10:D10. They all contain non text values, specifically in cells B4, D8, and C10.

5.1 Explaining formula

Step 1 - Determine which cells contain non text values

Variable a will be defined in step 3 by the LAMBDA function, it will contain values from each row.

ISNONTEXT(a)

The ISNON function returns TRUE or FALSE based on the values data type.

Step 2 - Return TRUE if at least one of the cells contain a non text value

The OR function evaluates a logical expression in each argument and if at least one argument returns TRUE the OR function returns TRUE. If all arguments return FALSE the OR function also returns FALSE.

Function syntax: OR(logical1, [logical2])

OR(ISNONTEXT(a))

The OR function returns TRUE if at least one of the values is a non text value.

Step 3 - Define variable in LAMBDA function

The LAMBDA function build custom functions without VBA, macros or javascript.

Function syntax: LAMBDA([parameter1, parameter2, …,] calculation)

LAMBDA(a,OR(ISNONTEXT(a)))

The LAMBDA function is needed for the BYROW function to work properly.

Step 4 - Specify cell reference in BYROW function

The BYROW function puts values from an array into a LAMBDA function row-wise.

Function syntax: BYROW(array, lambda(array, calculation))

BYROW(B3:D12,LAMBDA(a,OR(ISNONTEXT(a))))

The BYROW function will pass each row of values to the LAMBDA function, row-wise is important in order to fetch the corresponding rows in the next step.

Step 5 - Filter rows based on boolean values

The FILTER function extracts values/rows based on a condition or criteria.

Function syntax: FILTER(array, include, [if_empty])

FILTER(B3:D12, BYROW(B3:D12,LAMBDA(a,OR(ISNONTEXT(a)))))

The FILTER function filters out all rows containing only text values returning only rows with at least one non text value.

Functions in 'Information' category

The ISNONTEXT function function is one of 19 functions in the 'Information' category.

Excel function categories

Excel categories

Leave a Comment