ISFORMULA

The ISFORMULA function in Google Sheets checks whether a referenced cell contains a formula, returning TRUE if it does and FALSE otherwise. It's a handy auditing tool for understanding which cells hold live calculations versus static values. Dive into our comprehensive guide to master its application.

Parameters

• cell: The cell reference to check for the presence of a formula.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

1. Checking a cell for a formula:

   • Example: If A1 contains =SUM(B1:B5), then =ISFORMULA(A1) returns TRUE.
   • Result: TRUE

2. Checking a cell with a plain value:

   • Example: If A2 contains the number 42 (no formula), then =ISFORMULA(A2) returns FALSE.
   • Result: FALSE

Use Cases and Scenarios

1. Spreadsheet Auditing: Identify which cells contain formulas versus hard-coded values before making edits.
2. Data Validation: Flag cells that unexpectedly contain (or lack) formulas in a shared workbook.
3. Template Building: Highlight formula cells for users so they know which cells are safe to overwrite.

Related Functions

• ISBLANK: Checks whether a referenced cell is empty.
• ISERROR: Checks whether a value is an error.
• ISNUMBER: Checks whether a value is a number.

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