Skip to content
Google Sheets

ISREF function in Google Sheets

Checks whether a value is a valid cell reference.

=ISREF(value)

ISREF syntax and parameters

One argument, one required.

  • valueanyRequired

    The value to be verified as a cell reference. *ISREF returns TRUE if this is a valid cell reference, and FALSE otherwise. Providing a string containing a valid cell reference (e.g. "A2") for value returns FALSE as the input is a string, not a reference.

ISREF examples

Formulas you'll actually reuse.

  1. Does a sheet or range named in text actually exist?

    =ISREF(INDIRECT("Budget!A1"))

    ResultTRUE

  2. Validate a sheet name typed in A2 before building references on it:

    =IF(ISREF(INDIRECT(A2 & "!A1")), "sheet found", "missing sheet")

    Result"sheet found"

ISREF in Excel

Same name — your formula ports as-is.

Try ISREF in the playground

Edit the example — nothing to install.

Preloaded with the ISREF formula from Example 1 — change anything and watch it respond.

Loading the editor…

Related functions

More ways Google Sheets gets this done.