Resources · Excel Errors

Excel error reference, with locale-specific notes.

A field guide to every #-prefixed value Excel produces. Each entry lists the technical cause, the locale-specific triggers we see most often in cross-border model migration, and the practical fix.

#NAME?

Unrecognised name in the formula

Cause: The parser found an identifier that is neither a defined name nor a function in the active locale.
Locale trigger: By far the most common cross-border failure: a workbook authored in English (=VLOOKUP(...)) is opened on a non-English locale that requires SVERWEIS, RECHERCHEV or BUSCARV. Run the formula through the translator.
Other causes: Misspelled function, missing colon in a range, a defined name removed from another sheet, a UDF in a workbook whose VBA project failed to load.
Fix: Press F2 on the cell, isolate the offending token, and either rename it or convert the entire formula to the local syntax.

#VALUE!

Wrong type of argument

Cause: An argument is the wrong type — text where a number was expected, or vice versa.
Locale trigger: A number written with the wrong decimal symbol is stored as text. "1.5" on a comma-decimal locale is treated as text and =A1+1 returns #VALUE!. Use NUMBERVALUE() with explicit decimal/group separators when importing data.
Other causes: Whitespace inside numeric strings, mixed-type column from a CSV import, dates stored as text in a regional format Excel did not auto-detect.
Fix: Use =ISTEXT(A1) to detect text-as-number; convert with VALUE, NUMBERVALUE, or Text-to-Columns.

#REF!

Reference is no longer valid

Cause: A formula references a cell, row, column, or sheet that no longer exists.
Locale trigger: External references with locale-specific path separators or sheet names containing characters that the target locale escapes differently.
Other causes: Rows or columns deleted; sheet renamed without updating dependents; a structured table dropped while formulas still point at it.
Fix: Use the Trace Precedents arrow (Alt+M, P) to find the broken link, then point it at the new location.

#DIV/0!

Division by zero (or empty)

Cause: The divisor evaluated to zero or to an empty cell coerced to zero.
Fix: Wrap with IFERROR(formula, 0) or, more precisely, IF(divisor=0, 0, formula). Prefer the explicit form in audit-grade models so that genuine errors are not silently masked.

#N/A

Value not available

Cause: A lookup did not find a match, or a function explicitly returned #N/A.
Locale trigger: Lookups against text keys often fail across locales because of invisible character differences — non-breaking spaces (U+00A0) imported from European HTML, or different Unicode normalisations.
Fix: Use IFNA rather than IFERROR when you specifically want to handle the not-found case without swallowing other errors. Clean lookup keys with TRIM + CLEAN + SUBSTITUTE(x, CHAR(160), " ").

#NULL!

Empty intersection of two ranges

Cause: A space character was used as the intersection operator between two ranges that do not overlap, e.g. =SUM(A1:A10 B1:B10).
Fix: Almost always a typo: a missing comma or semicolon between the two ranges. Add the correct argument separator for your locale.

#NUM!

Numeric value out of range

Cause: A function received a numerically valid but out-of-domain argument: SQRT(-1), IRR with no sign change in the cash flows, an iterative function that did not converge.
Fix: Validate the input domain before the call. For IRR, supply a guess argument; for RATE, ensure the cash-flow sign convention is consistent.

#SPILL!

Dynamic array cannot spill

Cause: A dynamic-array formula tried to spill into a range that is not entirely empty, or that intersects a merged cell or a structured table.
Fix: Clear the cells under the spill range. Dynamic arrays cannot spill into a structured-table column — convert the table back to a range or move the formula outside it.

#CALC!

Calculation engine cannot resolve the array

Cause: A nested array operation produced an empty array (FILTER with no matches), an array of arrays, or a cyclic dependency in dynamic-array land.
Fix: For empty FILTER results, supply the optional if_empty argument: =FILTER(range, criteria, ""). Avoid passing a dynamic array as both argument and source to the same function.

#BLOCKED!

External resource blocked by policy

Cause: A function that depends on an external connection (Stocks data type, linked picture, certain LAMBDAs) is blocked by IT policy or because the user has not granted the required permission.
Fix: Re-enable the data type or service in File → Options → Trust Center, or contact the policy owner.

#GETTING_DATA

Transient placeholder while a query runs

Cause: Not a true error — Excel is waiting on a Power Query refresh, a stock data type, or an asynchronous LAMBDA. The cell will resolve when the data returns.
Fix: If it persists for more than a minute on a small query, force a recalculation with Ctrl+Alt+F9. Persistent #GETTING_DATA usually indicates a stalled connection.

A general triage checklist

Press F2 to enter the cell and confirm which token Excel highlights.
Use Formulas → Evaluate Formula (Alt+M, V) to step through the calculation.
Run the formula through the translator if you suspect a locale issue.
Check intl.cpl to confirm the active decimal symbol and list separator.
Trace precedents (Alt+M, P) to find the upstream cause.