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#VALUE!

Excel #VALUE! Error Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

What it means

The formula received the wrong type of data — commonly text where it expected a number.

Also seen as: #VALUE!, VALUE error

Quick fix steps

  1. Check every cell the formula references for stray text, extra spaces, or hidden characters.
  2. Use ISTEXT() or ISNUMBER() on the referenced cells to confirm what type of data is actually there.
  3. If the data was pasted from another source, try re-entering it manually or using "Paste Special > Values" to strip formatting that can carry hidden text.
For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see Understanding Excel Formula Errors (#REF!, #VALUE!, and More).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is #VALUE! always about text where a number should be?
That's the most common cause, but it can also appear from other formula/argument mismatches — checking each cell the formula references for unexpected content (extra spaces, hidden characters) is worth doing too.
Can formatting a cell as a number fix this automatically?
Not always — if the cell contains actual text characters rather than a number stored as text, reformatting alone won't convert it; you may need to re-enter the value or use a conversion formula.

Other error codes

#REF! — #REF! Error

A formula is pointing to a cell that no longer exists — usually because a row, column, or sheet it referenced was deleted.

#DIV/0! — #DIV/0! Error

The formula is dividing by zero or by an empty cell.

#N/A — #N/A Error

A lookup formula (VLOOKUP, MATCH, XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH) couldn't find a matching value.

#NAME? — #NAME? Error

Excel doesn't recognize text used in the formula — most often a misspelled function name or a missing quotation mark.