How to Fix All Formula Errors in Excel (Green Triangles, #VALUE!, #DIV/0!, #NAME?)

Formula errors are a common headache in Excel. Whether you’re seeing green triangles in the corner of a cell or getting mysterious error codes like #DIV/0! or #NAME?, this guide will help you understand and fix the most common issues.

1. What Do Green Triangles Mean in Excel?

Green triangles appear in the top-left corner of a cell to alert you that something might be wrong with a formula. These aren’t always real errors—sometimes they’re just warnings.

Common Green Triangle Warnings:

  • Inconsistent formulas in a column
  • Numbers stored as text
  • Unprotected formulas
  • Empty cells referenced in formulas

How to remove them: Click the warning icon next to the cell and choose “Ignore Error” or follow the suggested fix.

2. How to Fix #VALUE! Error

#VALUE! appears when Excel can’t use the value in a formula. This often happens if you try to do math on text.

Example:
=A1 + "apple" → If A1 is a number, this will return #VALUE!.

Fix: Ensure you’re only using numbers or convert text to numbers using VALUE() or NUMBERVALUE().

3. How to Fix #DIV/0! Error

This error appears when you divide by zero or an empty cell.

Example:
=A1/B1 → If B1 is 0 or empty, the result is #DIV/0!.

Fix: Use an IF statement to avoid dividing by zero:

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=IF(B1=0, "N/A", A1/B1)

4. How to Fix #NAME? Error

This error means Excel doesn’t recognize a formula name or named range.

Causes:

  • Misspelled function name
  • Missing quotation marks in text values
  • Unrecognized named ranges

Fix: Double-check your formula spelling and syntax. Excel often underlines errors for easier correction.

5. Other Common Errors and Fixes

  • #N/A: A lookup function can’t find the value.
  • #REF!: You deleted a cell or sheet that the formula refers to.
  • #NUM!: Invalid numeric value (e.g., square root of a negative number).

6. Pro Tips for Managing Formula Errors

  • Use IFERROR() to suppress error messages gracefully: =IFERROR(A1/B1, “Error”)
  • Use Formula Auditing tools under the Formulas tab.
  • Check Excel Options > Formulas to manage error checking rules.