Syntax
=ISTEXT(value)
value- The value or cell to check.
ISTEXT function in Google Sheets
ISTEXT returns TRUE if a value is text. Use it to validate input columns or to catch numbers that were accidentally typed as text.
Practice ISTEXT
Task 1 of 1
Return TRUE in B2 if the value in A2 is text.
Tip: while typing a formula, click a cell or drag across cells to insert references. Press Enter to check, and Tab to accept a function suggestion.
ISTEXT examples
Each example below runs against this sample sheet. The results are calculated by the same engine as the practice grid.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Student | Class | Score | Passed |
| 2 | Priya | A | 92 | TRUE |
| 3 | Leo | B | 67 | FALSE |
| 4 | Chloe | A | 48 | FALSE |
| 5 | Mateo | B | 81 | TRUE |
| 6 | Ines | C | FALSE | |
| 7 | Kai | C | 75 | TRUE |
| Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
=ISTEXT(A2) | TRUE | A name is text. |
=ISTEXT(C2) | FALSE | A score is a number. |
=ISTEXT(C6) | FALSE | An empty cell is not text. |
Tips and common mistakes
- Combine with data validation (Data › Data validation › Custom formula) to stop the wrong kind of input being entered.
Related functions
Learning step by step? ISTEXT is covered in Lesson 10: ISBLANK, ISNUMBER & IS Functions of the free course.