How to use ERROR.TYPE Function in Excel

The Excel ERROR.TYPE function returns a number that corresponds to a specific error value. You can use ERROR.TYPE to test for specific kinds of errors. If no error exists, ERROR.TYPE returns #N/A. See below for a key to the error codes returned by ERROR.TYPE.

Syntax:= ERROR.TYPE (error_val)

The ERROR.TYPE function syntax has the following arguments:

  • Error_val    Required. The error value whose identifying number you want to find. Although error_val can be the actual error value, it will usually be a reference to a cell containing a formula that you want to test.
If error_val is ERROR.TYPE returns
#NULL! 1
#DIV/0! 2
#VALUE! 3
#REF! 4
#NAME? 5
#NUM! 6
#N/A 7
#GETTING_DATA 8
Anything else #N/A

Example: Let’s look at some Excel ERROR.TYPE function examples and explore how to use the ERROR.TYPE function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:

Syntax:  =ERROR.TYPE(A2)

Result:

Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following ERROR.TYPE examples would return:

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A3)
Result: 2

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A4)
Result: 3

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A5)
Result: 4

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A6)
Result: 5

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A7)
Result: 6

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A8)
Result: 7

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A9)
Result: #N/A

Syntax: =ERROR.TYPE(A10)
Result: #N/A

Syntax: =IF(ERROR.TYPE(A11)<3,CHOOSE(ERROR.TYPE(A11),”Ranges do not intersect”,”The divisor is zero”))
Result: The divisor is zero

Note:

Use ERROR.TYPE to get a number that corresponds to a specific error value. See below for a key to the error codes returned by ERROR.TYPE. If no error exists, ERROR.TYPE returns #N/A.

In most cases, error_val will be supplied as a reference to a cell that may contain an error value.

One way to use ERROR.TYPE is to test for specific errors and display a relevant message (instead of error values) when certain error conditions exist.

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