Try this:

=IF(C3="","",IF(LEN(C3)<=D3,"Entry Acceptable","Too Many Characters"))


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Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"Steve" wrote in message
...
=IF(LEN(C3)<=D3,"Entry Acceptable","Too Many Characters")
C3 starts off empty and is an input field. D3 is the maximum number of
characters including spaces allowed.
Trying to add another step to formula that if cell C3 is blank/empty no
result would be shown.
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Steve