In this article:

Check if a Cell is Empty in Google Sheets (Easiest Way 2024)

May 8, 2024

In this article we will show you how to check if a cell is empty in Google Sheets with the ISBLANK function in just a few clicks. Simply follow the steps below.

Check if a Cell is Empty Google Sheets

For the purpose of this demonstration an example data sheet was created. Access this by clicking this link to follow along.


We can use the ISBLANK function to check if a cell or cell range is empty. In the below example we will show you how to use this useful function.

1. Select an empty cell in your spreadsheet

Click an empty cell in your sheet, this will be the cell the results populate in.

In our example we have highlighted cell H3 which is next to the data set.

Check if cell is empty Google Sheets: Select cell

2. Enter the formula =ISBLANK(Cell_Ref)

In the empty cell input the formula in the format of =ISBLANK(Cell_Ref)

Formula Breakdown:

=ISBlank: This is the function used to check the specified cell reference for empty cells

Cell_Ref: Enter the reference of the cell you want to check (As an example - B3), you can also check a range of cells by inputting the cell range here (example - B3:B10). 

The formula will return either a True or False value:

True: The cell/cell range is empty

False: The cell/cell range contains data and is therefore not empty

If entering a cell range the formula will only return True if all the cells are empty in the range.

In our example we will check the cell reference C5, our example formula is:

=ISBLANK(C5)

google sheet check if cell is empty: Formula

3. Press Enter to populate the results

With the formula inputted, simply press the Enter key. The formula will run and the results will populate.

In our example we checked cell C5, the returned result is TRUE meaning the cell is empty.

Google Sheets check if cell is empty: Results

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to set up the AVERAGE IF not zero in Google Sheets or our article on how to set up IF Not Equal on Google Sheets. 

If you want to learn how to link an email in Google Sheets, we also suggest checking out our detailed guide. 

Use our timesheet approval software to easily set up custom reminders from your spreadsheet in just a few clicks. 

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