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Why is my formula not working?

Hi, I'm trying to validate if the data in column E exists in the dataset of column B. In this instance, it's very obvious that it does but the formula is returning FALSE instead of TRUE. Does anyone know what's causing this? I've used the exact same formula on a different workbook without any problems.

What does the message from the green triangle say in B8 ?

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The issue might be due to extra spaces, hidden characters, or different formatting in your cells.

You can try selecting B8 and E8 to see if there are any spaces or hidden characters you didn’t notice.

Also, make sure both cells are formatted the same way. Sometimes Excel treats one as text and the other as a number, which causes issues.

Right-click on the cells, choose "Format Cells," and set both to Text. This should help your formula work properly.

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Hi, et_ts

Thank you for using Microsoft products and posting them to the community.

This may be a problem with the format of your data, it is recommended that you standardize the format or use a formula to do so, for example:

=NOT(ISERROR(MATCH(TEXT(E8, "0"), TEXT($B$4:$B$48, "0"), 0)))

I hope the above information can help you. Feel free to send a message if you need further help.

Best wishes

Aiden.C - MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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Last updated January 15, 2025 Views 62 Applies to: