Information

FIELDVALUE Function in Excel

Retrieves a field from a linked data type value.

Syntax

  • =FIELDVALUE(value, field_name, [format])

Arguments

  • value (required): Cell containing a linked data type
  • field_name (required): Name of the field to retrieve
  • format (optional): 0=default, 1=preserve field formatting

Examples

  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Price") - Stock price from typed cell - Result: Current price
  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, "City") - City from Geography type - Result: City name
  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, B$1) - Dynamic field name from header - Result: Selected field

Excel FIELDVALUE function documentation

  • FIELDVALUE retrieves a field from a linked data type cell (Stocks, Geography, Organization, etc.) without using the dot notation in the same workbook.
  • Syntax: =FIELDVALUE(value, field_name, [format]). value must be a cell containing a linked data type or a typed entity.
  • Use when building formulas that reference dynamic field names, wrapping typed cells in larger models, or extracting fields for [XLOOKUP](/functions/xlookup/) keys.
  • Requires Microsoft 365 with linked data types enabled; #VALUE! when the cell is plain text.

FIELDVALUE syntax and arguments

  • value (required): reference to a cell with a linked data type (e.g. a Stock typed cell).
  • field_name (required): text name of the field — "Price", "City", "Industry" depending on data type.
  • format (optional): 0 = default display, 1 = preserve field formatting where supported.
  • Example: =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Price") when A2 contains a Stock symbol linked entity.

FIELDVALUE vs dot notation

  • Dot syntax: =A2.Price is concise when field names are fixed and autocomplete works.
  • FIELDVALUE: =FIELDVALUE(A2,"Price") helps when field_name is built in another cell for dynamic dashboards.
  • Use FIELDVALUE in templates where non-technical users pick field names from a dropdown list.
  • Both require refreshed linked data — right-click Refresh or Data > Refresh All.

Linked data type examples

  • Stock price tile: =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Price") next to a typed ticker in A2 — compare [STOCKHISTORY](/functions/stockhistory/) for historical series.
  • Geography: =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Population") when A2 is a typed city or country.
  • Organization: =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Industry") for sector tags in screening models.
  • If #BLOCKED appears, check privacy/workbook settings for linked data types online.

People also ask

  • What is FIELDVALUE in Excel? — A function that returns a specific field from a linked data type value.
  • FIELDVALUE vs INDEX on Stocks? — FIELDVALUE reads typed entity fields; STOCKHISTORY returns time series arrays.
  • Why #VALUE! on FIELDVALUE? — Cell is not a linked data type or field_name is invalid for that type.
  • Is FIELDVALUE on Excel for Mac? — Available in M365 builds that support linked data types; confirm on your channel.

Common errors

  • #VALUE! if cell is not a linked data type
  • #BLOCKED if data refresh blocked
  • Invalid field_name for type

Use cases

  • Stock dashboards
  • Geography attributes
  • Dynamic typed field reports

Frequently asked questions

  • What is FIELDVALUE in Excel? FIELDVALUE returns a specific field from a linked data type cell (such as Stocks or Geography) using a formula instead of dot notation like =A2.Price.
  • FIELDVALUE vs dot notation? Dot notation (=A2.Price) is shorter for fixed fields. FIELDVALUE is better when field_name comes from another cell for dynamic reports.
  • Why does FIELDVALUE return #VALUE!? The value argument is plain text, not a linked data type, or field_name does not exist for that entity type.

Editorial review

  • Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.

When to use FIELDVALUE

  • Stock dashboards — common Information scenario for FIELDVALUE.
  • Geography attributes — common Information scenario for FIELDVALUE.
  • Dynamic typed field reports — common Information scenario for FIELDVALUE.

FIELDVALUE in the Information category

  • Browse all Information functions at /categories/information/ for related formulas.
  • FIELDVALUE syntax: =FIELDVALUE(value, field_name, [format])
  • value (required): Cell containing a linked data type
  • field_name (required): Name of the field to retrieve
  • format (optional): 0=default, 1=preserve field formatting
  • Confirm FIELDVALUE arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.

Formula checklist before you copy down

  • Confirm FIELDVALUE arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
  • If results look wrong, check for text stored as numbers and invisible spaces with TRIM.
  • Spot-check three known input rows manually against expected output.

Related Excel functions

  • STOCKHISTORY (/functions/stockhistory/): Retrieves historical stock price data from Microsoft's data provider.
  • TYPE (/functions/type/): Returns a number indicating the data type of a value.
  • CELL (/functions/cell/): Returns information about the formatting, location, or contents of a cell.

Errors to watch for

  • #VALUE! if cell is not a linked data type — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.
  • #BLOCKED if data refresh blocked — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.
  • Invalid field_name for type — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.

Copy-paste audit workflow

  • Enter FIELDVALUE on three test rows with known expected output documented on a QA tab.
  • Fill down only after absolute references are locked on lookup tables and rate tables.
  • Compare against manual calculation or a calculator for financial and statistical functions.
  • Search this directory for comparison guides when choosing between similar functions in the same category.

FIELDVALUE worked examples to copy

  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, "Price") — Stock price from typed cell. Expected result: Current price.
  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, "City") — City from Geography type. Expected result: City name.
  • =FIELDVALUE(A2, B$1) — Dynamic field name from header. Expected result: Selected field.

FIELDVALUE reference summary for crawlers and offline review

  • FIELDVALUE belongs to the Information category in Excel. Retrieves a field from a linked data type value.
  • Full syntax: =FIELDVALUE(value, field_name, [format]). Open /functions/fieldvalue/ for parameters, FAQs, and related pages.
  • Common mistakes: #VALUE! if cell is not a linked data type; #BLOCKED if data refresh blocked; Invalid field_name for type
  • Pair this function with comparison guides when another Excel formula might fit the same task better.
  • Review fix-excel-formula-errors when unexpected errors appear after upgrading Excel or sharing across locales.