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Fix the #GETTING_DATA error
Excel onlyWhat #GETTING_DATA means
#GETTING_DATA is a transient Excel status message, not a permanent error. It appears when a cell depends on data from an external source — Power Query, a data connection, a web query, or a linked workbook — that has not finished loading. The cell recalculates to a real value or error once the data arrives.
Common causes
- A Power Query query is still refreshing and the dependent cell is waiting for its output table to populate.
- An external workbook linked with =[WorkbookName.xlsx]Sheet1!A1 is not yet open or its connection is slow.
- A background refresh is running (enabled via Query Properties > Refresh every X minutes) and the cell updates mid-session.
- The workbook was opened with automatic refresh enabled and a slow network or large dataset is delaying data arrival.
- Excel is in a partially calculated state due to circular references or dependency chains that have not resolved yet.
Example fix
Broken
=SUM(Table1[Revenue])Fixed
=IF(ISBLANK(Table1[@Revenue]),0,SUM(Table1[Revenue]))Added a guard so the formula returns 0 instead of waiting on an empty table cell while data is still loading; remove the guard once the connection is stable.
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How to fix it
- 1Wait for the refresh to complete. The status bar at the bottom of Excel shows query progress.
- 2Go to Data > Queries & Connections and click Refresh All to force all queries to update synchronously.
- 3To disable background refresh: right-click the query in the Queries pane > Properties > uncheck 'Enable background refresh'.
- 4For linked workbooks, open the source workbook first, then reopen the dependent workbook so links resolve immediately.
- 5If #GETTING_DATA persists after refresh completes, check the query for errors in Power Query Editor (Data > Transform Data).
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Frequently asked
Is #GETTING_DATA an error I need to fix in my formula?
Usually no. It is a loading indicator. If it disappears after the refresh finishes, your formula is fine. If it persists indefinitely, the data source connection has failed.
How do I stop #GETTING_DATA from appearing every time I open the workbook?
Disable 'Enable background refresh' in the query properties and disable 'Refresh data when opening the file' in the workbook Connection Properties. Then refresh manually when needed.
Does Google Sheets have an equivalent to #GETTING_DATA?
Google Sheets shows 'Loading...' in cells backed by IMPORTRANGE or other external queries while data fetches. This is not an error and resolves automatically; it is not the same error code.