How to add percentage with a blank cell and get the result in percentage format?

Himel Barua

Hello everyone, I am adding 2 different Efficiencies to show the Total efficiency. When there are values in the cell it works just fine, but when I am adding a percentage with a blank cell (or even a Zero) , the final result doesn't get converted to the Percentage format. Any idea how I can make the values in percentage format? Thank you!

Lidiya S.

Hello Himel,

How are you adding the two values? If your formula in column "Efficiency WM2" outputs a blank using ="" then the Total Efficiency column is seeing it as a text, not a blank cell.

For example:

When you use quotes (" ") around the value_if_true in an IF formula the cell value format is actually a text, not a number.

IF formula that says =IF(some value = 0, "1","0") or =IF(some value = 0, "1","")

Then really you are telling the sheet to add 82% and a blank space.

But if you set it up as =IF(some value = 0, 1,0) or =IF(some value = 0, 1)

It was actually read as a blank number value and output the %.

@ me so we can get to the solution together!

Lidiya Shutaya

lidiya@ddbconsultants.ca

Lidiya S.

Hello Himel,

How are you adding the two values? If your formula in column "Efficiency WM2" outputs a blank using ="" then the Total Efficiency column is seeing it as a text, not a blank cell.

For example:

When you use quotes (" ") around the value_if_true in an IF formula the cell value format is actually a text, not a number.

IF formula that says =IF(some value = 0, "1","0") or =IF(some value = 0, "1","")

Then really you are telling the sheet to add 82% and a blank space.

But if you set it up as =IF(some value = 0, 1,0) or =IF(some value = 0, 1)

It was actually read as a blank number value and output the %.

@ me so we can get to the solution together!

Lidiya Shutaya

lidiya@ddbconsultants.ca

Himel Barua

Hi @Lidiya S. ,

It worked !! Awesome!!

Thank you so much for explaining the issue briefly. Yes I was doing exactly the same way you described, was using the " " , that's why the cell was acting as Text not number. Now I removed the " " and the final value now showing in percentage as I wanted. Excellent!

Thank you again and have yourself a wonderful weekend!

Cheers!

Himel

Lidiya S.

@Himel Barua Great to hear! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions and have an amazing weekend!

Lidiya Shutaya

lidiya@ddbconsultants.ca