Find the next thing to check.
Look up a question, inspect a formula’s structure, then try a working example.
Published explanations come from 19 original troubleshooting topics. The lookup inspects structure without calculating a pasted formula. For generated advice and an explicit local trial, use the local formula assistant. Current task observations remain available inside task and function worksheets.
Ask a new Excel question, then try the formula
Generate an English explanation with Chrome’s local model. Suggestions can be wrong; inspect the assumptions and run a separate trial on your sample. Opening this section does not generate or execute a formula.
Checking local model availability…
Unselected columns keep literal text, including leading zeros, = signs and error-looking labels. Selected numeric columns accept plain finite numbers; their empty cells are blank.
| Cell row | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region | Status | Amount |
| 2 | East | Paid | 10 |
| 3 | West | Paid | 20 |
| 4 | East | Pending | 30 |
| 5 | East | Paid | -5 |
The trial writes only to J2 in a copy of these literal cells. It allows at most 144 result cells and stops a calculation that exceeds its time limit. No model suggestion is run automatically.
Your question, cells and answer remain in this tab unless you download them. They are not put in the URL or browser storage. Model files may need a browser-managed download. No paid backend or prompt upload is configured.
Published help topic
Repair the referenced range
#REF! indicates a reference that cannot be used; replacing the displayed error does not repair it.
- Inspect the formula for a deleted reference or a range outside the intended source.
- Trace each argument back to its source cells. For an INDEX lookup, compare the requested position with the source dimensions.
- Rebuild the intended reference, then recalculate and check another dataset.
Reference: Microsoft: formula errorsMicrosoft: INDEX
Open this help topic →