Table of Contents

Formula Errors

This chapter teaches you how to deal with some common formula errors in Excel. Let’s start simple.

#####

When your cell contains this error code the column isn’t wide enough to display the value.

##### error in Excel

1. Click on the right border of the column A header and increase the column width.

Fix the ##### error

Tip: double click the right border of the column A header to automatically fit the widest entry in column A.

#NAME?

The #NAME? error occurs when Excel does not recognize text in a formula.

#NAME? error in Excel

1. Simply correct SU to SUM.

Fix the #NAME? error

#VALUE!

Excel displays the #VALUE! error when a formula has the wrong type of argument.

#VALUE! error

1a. Change the value of cell A3 to a number.
1b. Use a function to ignore cells that contain text.

Fix the #VALUE! error

#DIV/0!

Excel displays the #DIV/0! error when a formula tries to divide a number by 0 or an empty cell.

#DIV/0! error

1a. Change the value of cell A2 to a value that is not equal to 0.
1b. Prevent the error from being displayed by using the logical function IF.

Fix the #DIV/0! error

Explanation: if cell A2 equals 0 an empty string (“”) is displayed. If not the result of the formula A1/A2 is displayed.

#REF!

Excel displays the #REF! error when a formula refers to a cell that is not valid.

1. Cell C1 references cell A1 and cell B1.

#REF! error Example

2. Delete column B. To achieve this right click the column B header and click Delete.

Delete Column

3. Select cell B1. The reference to cell B1 is not valid anymore.

#REF! error Result

4. To fix this error you can either delete +#REF! in the formula of cell B1 or you can undo your action by pressing CTRL + z

#N/A

The #N/A error appears when the VLOOKUP function (or XLOOKUP MATCH etc.) can’t find a match.

1. In the example below ID 28 cannot be found.

#N/A error in Excel

2. Use the IFNA function to replace the #N/A error with a friendly message.

IFNA function

#NUM!

Excel shows the #NUM! error when a formula contains invalid numeric values.

1. For example the SQRT function below cannot calculate the square root of a negative number.

#NUM! error

2. Change the number in cell A1 to a positive number.

Fix the #NUM! error

#NULL!

The intersect operator (single space) returns the intersection of two ranges. When two ranges don’t intersect Excel displays the #NULL! error.

1. The formula below returns #NULL! because the two ranges don’t intersect.

#NULL! error

2. The formula below doesn’t return the #NULL error.

Fix the #NULL! error

Note: =SUM(F2:G2) produces the exact same result!

#SPILL!

If something is blocking a spill range Excel displays the #SPILL! error.

#SPILL! error in Excel

1. Simply empty cell C6 to fix the #SPILL error.

Fix the #SPILL! error

Note: this dynamic array function entered into cell C1 fills multiple cells. Wow! This behavior in Excel 365/2021 is called spilling.

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