GOOGLEFINANCE in Google Sheets

The ticker symbol is misspelled, the security doesn't exist, or the exchange prefix is incorrect. This is the most common error, occurring when the exact ticker format required by Google Finance isn't matched.

1. Verify the ticker symbol spelling against Google Finance website 2. Ensure you include the exchange prefix (e.g., 'NASDAQ:', 'NYSE:') 3. Check that the security is actively traded and not delisted 4. For international stocks, use the correct exchange code (e.g., 'LON:' for London, 'TSE:' for Tokyo) 5. Use IFERROR to handle invalid tickers gracefully: =IFERROR(GOOGLEFINANCE(A1), "Not Found")

Always validate ticker symbols before use. Create a reference list of valid tickers and use data validation to prevent typos. For user-input tickers, add validation that checks against known exchanges and formats.

The attribute name is misspelled or not supported for the security type. Each security type (stocks, currencies, mutual funds) supports different attributes. Using an incompatible attribute generates this error.

1. Check attribute spelling against the official list (case-sensitive) 2. Verify the attribute is supported for your security type 3. Ensure text parameters are enclosed in quotes 4. For historical queries, confirm you're using valid date formats 5. Check for syntax errors like missing commas or parentheses

Reference the official attribute list when building formulas. Common valid attributes include: 'price', 'volume', 'high', 'low', 'marketcap', 'pe', 'eps'. Create a dropdown list of valid attributes using data validation.

Historical data queries require properly formatted date parameters. This error occurs when dates are in text format instead of actual date values, or when incompatible data types are passed to parameters.

1. Use DATE(year, month, day) function for explicit date creation 2. Convert text dates with DATEVALUE() function 3. Ensure start_date is before end_date 4. Verify the interval parameter is either 'DAILY' or 'WEEKLY' (case-sensitive) 5. Check that num_days is a positive integer when used instead of end_date

Historical queries that return very large date ranges can exceed Google Sheets' cell limit or array size restrictions. This typically happens when requesting daily data spanning multiple years.

1. Limit date ranges to necessary time periods (e.g., 90 days instead of 3 years) 2. Use 'WEEKLY' interval instead of 'DAILY' for long-term analysis 3. Split large queries into smaller chunks across multiple formulas 4. Use QUERY function to filter returned arrays to only needed rows 5. Consider using Google Apps Script for very large historical data needs

Plan your data needs before writing formulas. For trend analysis beyond 1 year, weekly intervals are usually sufficient and prevent array overflow issues.

Google Sheets caches GOOGLEFINANCE results and updates periodically, not continuously. Real-time updates occur approximately every 1-5 minutes during market hours, but some delays are normal.

1. Force recalculation by pressing Ctrl+Shift+F9 (Cmd+Shift+F9 on Mac) 2. Edit any cell in the sheet to trigger recalculation 3. Close and reopen the spreadsheet 4. Check that your timezone matches the exchange's timezone in File > Settings 5. Verify you're within market hours for the specific exchange 6. Note that quotes may have a 15-20 minute delay depending on exchange policies

Understand that GOOGLEFINANCE provides near-real-time, not tick-by-tick updates. For critical trading decisions, always verify prices on official broker platforms. Set expectations that updates occur every few minutes during market hours.