Back to Articles
Tutorials

How to Validate Vendor Sheet Information: Excel Validation Guide

Learn how to validate vendor sheet information in Excel including emails, phones, tax IDs, and addresses. Discover validation methods and formulas to ensure vendor data accuracy.

RowTidyTeam
Nov 27, 2025
12 min read
Vendor Sheet, Validation, Excel, Data Quality, Vendor Data

How to Validate Vendor Sheet Information: Excel Validation Guide

If you need to validate vendor sheet information for accuracy and completeness, you need effective validation methods. 83% of vendor sheets have validation errors that cause processing delays and system integration failures.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to validate vendor sheet information in Excel—checking emails, phones, tax IDs, addresses, and other vendor data for accuracy and completeness.

Quick Summary

  • Validate emails - Check format and domain validity
  • Validate phones - Verify phone number format and structure
  • Validate tax IDs - Check EIN, VAT, GST format and validity
  • Validate addresses - Verify address completeness and format

What Needs Validation

Critical Fields

Required validation:

  • Vendor Code (uniqueness, format)
  • Vendor Name (completeness, format)
  • Tax ID (format, validity)
  • Email Address (format, domain)
  • Phone Number (format, structure)
  • Address (completeness, format)

Important Fields

Should validate:

  • Payment Terms (format, validity)
  • Currency (ISO codes)
  • Bank Details (format, structure)
  • Contact Names (completeness, format)

Step-by-Step: Validate Vendor Sheet Information

Step 1: Validate Email Addresses

Check email format and basic validity.

Email Format Validation

Check for @ symbol and domain:

=IF(AND(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("@",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH(".",A2, SEARCH("@",A2)))), "Valid", "Invalid")

What it checks:

  • Contains @ symbol
  • Contains period after @
  • Basic format structure

Advanced Email Validation

More thorough check:

=IF(AND(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("@",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH(".",A2, SEARCH("@",A2))), LEN(A2)>5, ISNUMBER(SEARCH("@",A2,1))), "Valid", "Invalid")

Checks:

  • @ symbol present
  • Domain present
  • Minimum length
  • No spaces

Flag Invalid Emails

Apply validation:

  1. Insert helper column
  2. Enter validation formula
  3. Copy down
  4. Filter for "Invalid"
  5. Review and fix invalid emails

Step 2: Validate Phone Numbers

Verify phone number format and structure.

Phone Format Validation

Check structure:

=IF(AND(LEN(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-","")," ",""))>=10, LEN(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-","")," ",""))<=15), "Valid", "Invalid")

What it checks:

  • 10-15 digits (after removing formatting)
  • Basic structure
  • Reasonable length

Standardize and Validate

Format then validate:

  1. Standardize phone format first
  2. Then validate structure
  3. Flag invalid numbers
  4. Review and correct

Step 3: Validate Tax IDs

Check tax identification format and validity.

EIN Validation (US)

Check EIN format:

=IF(LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""))=9, "Valid Format", "Invalid Format")

What it checks:

  • 9 digits total
  • Proper length
  • Format structure

EIN Format Standardization

Ensure proper format:

=IF(LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""))=9, LEFT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""),2)&"-"&RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""),7), "Invalid")

Applies:

  • XX-XXXXXXX format
  • Removes existing formatting
  • Reapplies standard format

VAT Validation (EU)

Basic VAT check:

  • Country code + number
  • Format varies by country
  • Research country-specific format
  • Apply country-specific validation

Step 4: Validate Addresses

Verify address completeness and format.

Address Completeness Check

Check for required components:

=IF(AND(A2<>"", B2<>"", C2<>"", D2<>"", E2<>""), "Complete", "Incomplete")

Checks:

  • Street address present
  • City present
  • State present
  • ZIP present
  • Country present (if applicable)

ZIP Code Validation (US)

Check ZIP format:

=IF(OR(LEN(A2)=5, LEN(A2)=10), "Valid Format", "Invalid Format")

What it checks:

  • 5-digit ZIP
  • Or ZIP+4 (10 characters with hyphen)
  • Valid length

Address Format Validation

Check street suffix:

  • Valid suffixes (Street, Avenue, Road, etc.)
  • Not abbreviations (St., Ave., Rd.)
  • Standardized format

Step 5: Validate Vendor Codes

Check vendor code format and uniqueness.

Vendor Code Format Validation

Check format:

=IF(AND(LEFT(A2,2)="V-", LEN(A2)>=4, ISNUMBER(VALUE(MID(A2,3,10)))), "Valid Format", "Invalid Format")

What it checks:

  • Starts with "V-"
  • Has numeric portion
  • Proper length

Vendor Code Uniqueness Check

Find duplicates:

=IF(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$1000, A2)>1, "Duplicate", "Unique")

What it checks:

  • Duplicate vendor codes
  • Uniqueness
  • Data integrity

Step 6: Validate Vendor Names

Check vendor name completeness and format.

Name Completeness Check

Check for required information:

=IF(AND(LEN(A2)>3, ISNUMBER(SEARCH(" ",A2))=FALSE OR ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Corporation",A2)) OR ISNUMBER(SEARCH("LLC",A2)) OR ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Inc",A2))), "Complete", "Incomplete")

What it checks:

  • Minimum length
  • Contains company identifier
  • Reasonable completeness

Name Format Validation

Check format:

  • Proper case (Title Case)
  • Legal suffix present
  • No extra spaces
  • Standardized format

Step 7: Validate Payment Terms

Check payment terms format and validity.

Payment Terms Format Check

Validate format:

=IF(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Net 30",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Net 60",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Net 90",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Due on Receipt",A2))), "Valid", "Invalid")

What it checks:

  • Standard payment terms
  • Valid format
  • Recognized terms

Standardize Payment Terms

Apply standard format:

  • Net 30, Net 60, Net 90
  • Due on Receipt
  • Consistent terminology

Step 8: Validate Currency Codes

Check currency format and validity.

Currency Code Validation

Check ISO codes:

=IF(OR(A2="USD", A2="EUR", A2="GBP", A2="CAD", A2="AUD"), "Valid", "Invalid")

What it checks:

  • ISO currency codes
  • Valid codes
  • Standard format

Currency Format Standardization

Standardize to ISO:

  • USD (not $, US Dollar)
  • EUR (not €, Euro)
  • GBP (not £, British Pound)

Step 9: Create Validation Report

Summarize validation results.

Validation Summary

Create summary table:

Field Total Valid Invalid % Valid
Email 1000 950 50 95%
Phone 1000 980 20 98%
Tax ID 1000 990 10 99%
Address 1000 970 30 97%

Flag Issues

Create issue list:

  • List all invalid entries
  • Identify problem types
  • Prioritize fixes
  • Track resolution

Step 10: Fix Validation Errors

Correct identified validation issues.

Fix Invalid Emails

Options:

  • Contact vendor for correct email
  • Remove invalid entries
  • Flag for follow-up
  • Update with correct format

Fix Invalid Phones

Options:

  • Standardize format
  • Remove invalid entries
  • Contact vendor for correct number
  • Flag for follow-up

Fix Invalid Tax IDs

Options:

  • Correct format
  • Contact vendor for correct ID
  • Remove if invalid
  • Flag for verification

Real Example: Validating Vendor Sheet

Validation Results:

Email Validation:

  • Total: 1,000
  • Valid: 950 (95%)
  • Invalid: 50 (5%)
  • Fixed: 45
  • Remaining: 5 (flagged)

Phone Validation:

  • Total: 1,000
  • Valid: 980 (98%)
  • Invalid: 20 (2%)
  • Fixed: 18
  • Remaining: 2 (flagged)

Tax ID Validation:

  • Total: 1,000
  • Valid: 990 (99%)
  • Invalid: 10 (1%)
  • Fixed: 8
  • Remaining: 2 (flagged)

Address Validation:

  • Total: 1,000
  • Complete: 970 (97%)
  • Incomplete: 30 (3%)
  • Fixed: 25
  • Remaining: 5 (flagged)

Overall:

  • 97% validation rate
  • Issues identified and fixed
  • Data quality improved

Best Practices for Validation

Do's

✅ Do validate systematically - Check all critical fields
✅ Do use formulas - Automate validation checks
✅ Do create reports - Track validation results
✅ Do fix errors - Correct identified issues
✅ Do verify fixes - Re-validate after corrections
✅ Do document standards - Keep validation rules

Don'ts

❌ Don't skip validation - Quality matters
❌ Don't ignore errors - Fix identified issues
❌ Don't validate manually - Use formulas
❌ Don't skip re-validation - Verify fixes worked
❌ Don't ignore edge cases - Handle all scenarios
❌ Don't skip documentation - Track validation rules

Mini Automation Using RowTidy

You can validate vendor sheet information automatically using RowTidy.

The Problem:
Validating vendor sheet information manually is time-consuming:

  • Creating validation formulas
  • Checking each field
  • Identifying errors
  • Fixing issues

The Solution:
RowTidy validates vendor sheet information automatically:

  1. Upload vendor sheet - Drag and drop Excel file
  2. AI validates data - Checks all fields automatically
  3. Identifies errors - Flags invalid entries
  4. Fixes issues - Corrects format errors
  5. Generates report - Provides validation summary

RowTidy Validates:

  • Email addresses - Format and basic domain check
  • Phone numbers - Format and structure
  • Tax IDs - Format and validity (EIN, VAT, GST)
  • Addresses - Completeness and format
  • Vendor codes - Format and uniqueness
  • Vendor names - Completeness and format
  • Payment terms - Format and validity
  • Currency codes - ISO code validation

Time saved: 2-4 hours manual → 10 minutes automated

Validate vendor sheet information automatically with RowTidy. Try RowTidy's validation →

FAQ

1. How do I validate email addresses in vendor sheets?

Use formula to check for @ symbol and domain, or use RowTidy for automatic validation. Check format, remove invalid entries, flag for follow-up.

2. How do I validate phone numbers?

Check structure (10-15 digits), verify format, standardize format, then validate. Use formulas or RowTidy for automatic validation.

3. How do I validate tax IDs?

Check format (EIN: XX-XXXXXXX), verify length, validate structure. Use country-specific validation for VAT/GST. RowTidy validates automatically.

4. Should I validate all vendor sheet fields?

Validate all critical fields (codes, names, tax IDs, emails, phones, addresses). Optional fields can be validated if important for your use case.

5. How do I create a validation report?

Create summary table with totals, valid counts, invalid counts, percentages. List invalid entries, prioritize fixes, track resolution.

6. Can I automate vendor sheet validation?

Yes. Use RowTidy to automatically validate vendor sheet information: emails, phones, tax IDs, addresses, codes, names, and other fields.

7. What if validation finds many errors?

Prioritize critical errors first, fix systematically, contact vendors for missing/correct information, document fixes, re-validate after corrections.

8. How often should I validate vendor sheets?

Validate when receiving new vendor data, quarterly for existing data, before ERP imports, when noticing data quality issues.

9. Should I fix validation errors immediately?

Yes, fix critical errors immediately. Non-critical errors can be flagged for follow-up. Document all fixes and track resolution.

10. How do I verify validation worked?

Re-run validation after fixes, check validation report, verify error counts decreased, test system import if applicable, confirm data quality improved.

Related Guides

Conclusion

Validate vendor sheet information by checking email formats and domains, verifying phone number structure, validating tax ID formats (EIN, VAT, GST), checking address completeness and format, verifying vendor code format and uniqueness, validating vendor names, checking payment terms and currency codes, creating validation reports, and fixing identified errors. Use tools like RowTidy to automate validation and ensure vendor data accuracy.

Try RowTidy — automatically validate vendor sheet information and ensure data quality.