How to Display Blank When Referencing Blank Cells in Excel (7 Methods)

Table of Contents

Why Do Blank Cells Show as Zero in Excel?

When referencing a blank cell, Microsoft Excel often returns zero instead of leaving it empty. Excel treats blank cells as zeros by default because it assumes you want to perform mathematical operations. This behavior can be useful in some cases, but it can also cause issues when you need to distinguish between zero values and truly blank cells.

Here are the best methods to ensure a blank cell reference display as empty.

Solutions

Method 1: IF and ISBLANK Functions (Excel 2003 and above)

A straightforward way to display blanks instead of zeros is by using the IF and ISBLANK functions. This method tells Excel to check if a referenced cell is empty before returning a value.

Formula: IF(ISBLANK(A1), "", A1)

In this example, if cell A1 is blank, Excel will display nothing (""). Otherwise, it displays the content of A1.

Method 2: Using the IF Function Directly (all version)

If you want a simpler version, you can use an IF formula to test for non-zero values.

Formula: IF(A1<>0, A1, "")

This formula shows the value in A1 if it’s not zero and leaves it blank if it is.

Method 3: Custom Number Formatting (All version)

If you want to avoid formulas, custom number formatting offers a fast, formula-free solution to hide zero values.

Select the cells you want to format.
Right click and select Format Cells > Number > Custom or Go to home and click arrow as shown below and go to Number and select Custom.
Enter the format: 0;-0;;@

This custom format displays positive numbers normally, negatives with a minus, and blanks for zero values.

Method 4: Adjust Excel Settings (Global setting for all versions)

For an entire worksheet, use Excel’s advanced options to prevent zero values from appearing as blanks:

Go to File > Options > Advanced.
Under Display options for this worksheet, uncheck Show a zero in cells that have zero value and click Ok

This option will hide zero values across the entire sheet, so use this if you don’t need zeros to appear anywhere in your workbook.

Method 5: Conditional Formatting (hide zero)

For flexible control, conditional formatting can hide zeros without changing formulas.

Select your cells and go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
Choose Format only cells that contain, set the condition to equal to 0 and click Format…
Format the font color to match the background (e.g., white) and click Ok.

This method can be customized for specific cell ranges but may slow down large sheets.

Method 6: Use Concatenation with an Empty String (All version)

Another formula-free approach is to use concatenation to convert the zero value to a text format.

Formula: A1&""

Appending &"" tells Excel to treat the value as text, which remains blank if the cell is empty.

Method 7: Create VBA Macro (All version)

For more advanced or frequent users, a VBA macro can clear zeros with a click of a button.

Sub ClearZeroValues()
    Dim cell As Range
    For Each cell In Selection
        If cell.Value = 0 Then cell.ClearContents
    Next cell
End Sub

Use this macro to remove zero values from a selected range, ideal for large or frequently updated data sets where manually hiding zeros becomes impractical.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Why Do My Cells Still Show Zeros?

If zeros are still showing, check for formatting conflicts or confirm the worksheet settings are applied correctly. Make sure to verify that the IF or ISBLANK formula is used consistently across related cells.

Can I Apply These Settings to a Pivot Table?

Yes, you can adjust PivotTable options to hide blank cells. In PivotTable Options > Layout & Format, select For empty cells show and leave the box blank to display cells as empty instead of zero.

What Is the Best Method for Large Datasets?

For extensive sheets, custom number formatting and VBA macro are ideal. Avoid conditional formatting for very large datasets to prevent lag.

Can I Display Text Instead of Blanks?

Absolutely! Modify any IF formula to return specific text like "N/A" or "Missing Data" by replacing the empty quotes with your desired text

IF(ISBLANK(A1), "N/A", A1)

Using these approaches, you can create more readable Excel sheets that avoid unnecessary clutter from zeros in blank cell references. Experiment with each method to find what best suits your workflow and dataset size.

C P Gupta

C P Gupta is a YouTuber and Blogger. He is expert in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. His YouTube channel @pickupbrain is very popular and has crossed 9.9 Million Views.