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The Spreadsheet Desk

Troubleshooting

Symptom-first fixes for the errors that stall a working sheet: #REF!, broken references, imports, permissions, filters, dates, duplicates, and formulas that quietly stop counting.

#REF! errorsBroken referencesImportsPermissionsFiltersDatesDuplicates
Fix

How to Find Which Cell Is Breaking a Google Sheets Formula

Find which cell is breaking a Google Sheets formula by tracing references, testing ranges, isolating inputs, using helper cells, and repairing formulas safely.

7 min
Fix

How to Fix ARRAYFORMULA Not Expanding in Google Sheets

Fix ARRAYFORMULA not expanding in Google Sheets by clearing blocked cells, checking ranges, headers, row limits, formula logic, and template structure.

6 min
Fix

How to Fix Broken Date Formatting in Google Sheets Templates

Fix broken date formatting in Google Sheets templates by checking locale, plain-text dates, custom formats, imported data, formulas, and US/UK date confusion.

6 min
Fix

How to Fix Formula Parse Error in Google Sheets

Fix Formula Parse Error in Google Sheets by checking separators, brackets, quotes, function names, ranges, and copied template formulas safely.

5 min
Fix

How to Fix Google Sheets Dropdowns Not Showing

Fix Google Sheets dropdowns not showing by checking data validation rules, chip display settings, source ranges, protected cells, filters, and template copies.

5 min
Fix

How to Fix Google Sheets Filter Not Working

Fix Google Sheets filters that are missing rows, sorting the wrong range, hiding data, or breaking template views with a safe troubleshooting sequence.

6 min
Fix

How to Fix IMPORTRANGE Not Working in Google Sheets

Fix IMPORTRANGE errors in Google Sheets by checking source access, spreadsheet URL, range syntax, permissions, deleted tabs, and fragile dashboard dependencies.

6 min
Fix

How to Fix Protected Cells Blocking Edits in a Template

Fix protected cells blocking edits in a Google Sheets template without damaging formulas, permissions, locked ranges, dashboard cells, or shared-business files.

7 min
Fix

How to Fix VLOOKUP Returning N/A in Google Sheets

Fix VLOOKUP returning N/A in Google Sheets by checking lookup values, table ranges, column indexes, exact match settings, spaces, and mismatched data types.

7 min
Fix

Why Your Google Sheets Formula Is Not Updating

Diagnose Google Sheets formulas that are not updating because of calculation settings, stale inputs, copied values, filters, imports, or broken references.

7 min
Fix

Google Sheets Troubleshooting: Fix Common Formula and Template Problems

A practical Google Sheets troubleshooting guide for broken formulas, missing dropdowns, template errors, protected ranges, import problems, and confusing dashboards.

6 min
Fix

How to Fix a #REF! Error in Google Sheets

A #REF! error means a formula is pointing at something that no longer exists. Here's how to find the likely cause, fix it safely, and stop it from happening again.

4 min

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