A dropdown can guide entry without strictly enforcing its options. If someone can enter another value, inspect invalid-data behavior rather than assuming validation has stopped working.
Removing a dropdown rule and deleting the value are separate tasks. Use the validation controls when you want ordinary cell content to remain after the dropdown is removed.
A Sheets table adds structure, column types, and table-level controls to a range. It is more than alternating row colors, but its type warnings do not replace a complete data-quality review.
A structured reference depends on a real Sheets table and its column names. If a formula breaks after a rename or conversion, inspect those elements before replacing it with a guessed cell range.
A conditional-formatting rule can highlight the row above or test the wrong column when its formula does not align with the applied range. Fix the reference relationship rather than manually recoloring the results.
When several conditional-formatting rules cover the same cells, their order can explain an unexpected color. Pasting formatted cells can also introduce additional rules that were not obvious in the original design.
If a cell displays =SUM(A1:A3) instead of a result, determine whether Sheets stored text or whether the spreadsheet is intentionally showing formulas. The repairs are different.
A formula parse error means Sheets cannot interpret the expression’s syntax. It is different from a valid formula that finds no match or divides by zero.
#REF! identifies a reference problem, but the accompanying message matters. A deleted input and an array blocked by existing cells require different actions.
#VALUE! often indicates that a formula received an unsuitable input. Diagnose the argument that failed rather than converting every cell in the referenced range.