#REF!
a formula points at a cell that no longer exists.
what it means
The reference itself is gone — the row, column or sheet it addressed was deleted. Unlike a wrong value, the formula text is now permanently broken and must be repointed.
common causes
- deleting a row, column or worksheet a formula referenced
- a lookup asked for a column index outside the given range
- cutting and pasting over cells another formula depended on
how to fix it
- undo the delete, then move the formula or its data first
- repoint the reference at the surviving cells
- in deepcalc, read the journal diff to see exactly which structural edit broke it — every rewrite is recorded as an op