After a Microsoft 365 update, you may open an Excel workbook and see formulas displaying a strange _xlfn. prefix, such as _xlfn.TEXTBEFORE or _xlfn.XLOOKUP. This happens because the workbook contains functions from a newer version of Excel that your current build does not yet support, or the file was saved in a format that strips … Read more
When you create a dynamic array formula in Excel, the results spill into adjacent cells. If those cells are hidden by a filter, a collapsed group, or manual row/column hiding, the formula returns a #SPILL! error. This happens because Excel cannot write the spilled values into cells that are not visible on the screen. This … Read more
You wrote a FILTER formula expecting a list of matching records, but the result is the #CALC! error or a blank cell. This happens when the FILTER function cannot find any row that meets your logical test. The function is designed to return an empty array when no rows match, but that behavior can be … Read more
You need to find a value in an Excel table, but the lookup column is to the right of the data you want to retrieve. The VLOOKUP function cannot search from right to left. This limitation requires a different formula approach. This article explains how to combine the INDEX and MATCH functions to perform a … Read more
You need to find the average of numbers in Excel, but only for rows that meet a specific condition. Manually filtering and calculating is slow and error-prone. The AVERAGEIF function solves this by averaging cells based on a single criterion. This article explains how to use AVERAGEIF with clear, step-by-step instructions. Key Takeaways: Using AVERAGEIF … Read more
You have numbers in Excel that won’t add up or sort correctly. They are stored as text, often because they were imported from another system. This prevents you from using them in calculations. The VALUE function changes this text into a real number that Excel can calculate with. This article shows you how to use … Read more
Your SUM formula in Excel shows an incorrect total after you delete rows from your data. This happens because the formula’s cell references do not adjust automatically. The SUM function may still be trying to calculate cells that are now empty or contain different data. This article explains why this occurs and provides clear steps … Read more
Adding months to a date in Excel seems simple but can produce unexpected results. This happens when the start date is on the last day of a month. Standard functions like EDATE or DATE may shift the result to an earlier date. This article explains why this date shift occurs and provides reliable methods to … Read more
You often need to locate the position of a specific value within a list or table in Excel. Searching manually is slow and error-prone for large datasets. The MATCH function provides a precise, formula-based method to find the row number where your lookup value first appears. This article explains how to use MATCH to get … Read more
You need to find a single value from a list in Excel, but your formula returns multiple results or an error. This happens when your lookup range contains duplicate values. The XLOOKUP function is designed to handle this by default. This article explains how to use XLOOKUP to reliably return only the first matching item. … Read more