Excel Formula Problems and Fixes

Fix common Excel formula problems including VLOOKUP #N/A, XLOOKUP not finding values, SUMIF not working, COUNTIF text issues, and FILTER #SPILL errors.

Top troubleshooting guides

  • [VLOOKUP returning #N/A](/problems/vlookup-returning-na/)
  • [XLOOKUP not finding value](/problems/xlookup-not-finding-value/)
  • [SUMIF not working](/problems/sumif-not-working/)
  • [COUNTIF not counting text](/problems/countif-not-counting-text/)
  • [Pivot table not updating](/problems/pivot-table-not-updating/)

Excel formula problems

  • Why Is VLOOKUP Returning #N/A?: Fix VLOOKUP #N/A errors by checking exact match, lookup values, hidden spaces, data types, and the first column of the table array.
  • Why Is XLOOKUP Not Finding a Value?: Troubleshoot XLOOKUP not finding values in Excel by checking match mode, data types, hidden spaces, and lookup array alignment.
  • Why Is SUMIF Not Working?: Fix SUMIF formulas that return zero, wrong totals, or unexpected results by checking criteria, range sizes, dates, and numbers stored as text.
  • Why Is COUNTIF Not Counting Text?: Fix COUNTIF text criteria issues caused by hidden spaces, wildcard syntax, case expectations, and imported data cleanup problems.
  • How to Fix #SPILL! in FILTER: Fix FILTER #SPILL! errors by clearing blocked spill ranges, checking merged cells, and understanding dynamic array behavior.
  • Why Is My Excel Formula Not Calculating?: Fix Excel formulas that show the formula text, return zero, or never update because of manual calculation, text formatting, or blocked references.
  • Why Does Excel Show the Formula Instead of the Result?: Fix Excel cells that display the formula text instead of the calculated result by checking cell format, show formulas mode, and leading spaces.
  • Why Is IFERROR Not Working?: Fix IFERROR formulas that still show errors, hide the wrong value, or fail because of argument order and nested error chains.
  • Why Is My Pivot Table Not Updating?: Fix Pivot Tables that do not refresh, miss new rows, or show stale totals after the source data changes.
  • How to Fix a Circular Reference in Excel: Resolve Excel circular reference warnings when a formula directly or indirectly refers back to its own cell.