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N

The N function in Google Sheets returns the argument provided as a number. If the argument is already a number, it returns the number. If the argument is text, it tries to convert it into a number. If the argument is a boolean, true is converted to 1 and false is converted to 0. If the argument is an error or a blank cell, it returns 0.

Usage

Use the N formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter:

=N(value)
Parameters:
  1. value (required):
    The value to be converted into a number.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the N formula in Google Sheets.

Convert text to number

If you have a range of cells that contain numbers as text, you can use the N function to convert them into actual numbers.

Handle errors

When used with other functions, the N function can help handle errors. For example, you can use IFERROR with N to return 0 instead of an error when a formula returns an error.

Convert boolean to number

If you have a cell that contains a boolean value, you can use the N function to convert it into a number. True is converted to 1 and false is converted to 0.

Common Mistakes

N not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the N Google Sheets Formula:

Incorrect argument type

One of the most common mistakes is providing an argument that is not compatible with N. N only accepts arguments that can be evaluated as a number or date. If you provide a text string or a boolean value, N will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure that the argument you provide is a number or date.

Missing argument

Another common mistake is forgetting to provide an argument to N. If you omit the argument, N will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure that you provide an argument to N.

Providing a cell reference as argument

N does not accept cell references as arguments. If you provide a cell reference as an argument, N will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure that you provide a value instead of a cell reference.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to N or are often used with it in a formula:

  • VALUE

    The VALUE formula in Google Sheets converts a text representation of a number to an actual number. This formula is most commonly used when you have imported data from another source that is formatted as text, but you need to use it in a numerical calculation.

  • IFERROR

    The IFERROR formula is used to check whether a specified value results in an error or not. If the value results in an error, then it returns a user-specified value instead of the error. This function is commonly used to prevent errors from breaking a formula or to replace error messages with custom messages.

  • ISNUMBER

    The ISNUMBER formula is used to check if a given value is a number. It returns TRUE if the value is a number and FALSE if it is not. This formula is commonly used in data cleaning and validation to identify and remove non-numeric values or to ensure that a cell only contains a number.

Learn More

You can learn more about the N Google Sheets function on Google Support.