IMAGE Function in Sheets

The most common IMAGE error occurs when the URL is inaccessible, requires authentication, returns 404 error, uses private/blocked domain, or network connection failed. This happens with URLs behind login walls, corporate firewalls, or recently deleted images.

1. Verify URL is publicly accessible by opening in incognito browser window 2. Check URL spelling carefully and ensure it starts with https:// or http:// 3. Confirm image file still exists at that location (not deleted or moved) 4. Test with known working URL like https://www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/1x/googlelogo_color_272x92dp.png 5. If using Google Drive, verify sharing is set to 'Anyone with the link' 6. Check for corporate firewall blocking external image domains 7. Use IFERROR wrapper for production: =IFERROR(IMAGE(A2), "Image unavailable") 8. Verify image hosting service is not down (check status page)

Always use publicly accessible URLs from reliable CDNs or trusted hosting. Avoid URLs requiring authentication or behind company firewalls. Test URLs in incognito mode before adding to sheets.

The URL points to an unsupported file format. IMAGE function only supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG, and BMP formats. Common with WEBP, TIFF, HEIC, or proprietary formats. Also occurs when URL returns HTML page instead of image file.

1. Convert image to supported format (JPG or PNG recommended) 2. Use online conversion tools like CloudConvert or image editing software 3. Verify file extension in URL matches actual format (.jpg, .png, .gif) 4. Open URL directly in browser to confirm it returns an image, not HTML page 5. Check if server requires specific headers (some CDNs only serve images with proper referrer) 6. For WEBP images, convert to PNG or JPG format before hosting 7. Ensure URL points directly to image file, not to webpage containing the image

Use standard web formats (JPG, PNG) for maximum compatibility. Verify file format before generating URLs. Maintain images in web-optimized formats on hosting server.

Using mode 2 (stretch to fill) with images that don't match cell aspect ratio, or cell dimensions don't match image proportions causing compression or stretching artifacts. Also occurs when manually resizing cells after image has loaded.

1. Switch to mode 1: =IMAGE(url, 1) to maintain aspect ratio automatically 2. Adjust cell dimensions to match image proportions 3. Use mode 4 with calculated height/width for precise control 4. For portrait images: create tall narrow cells (e.g., 100px wide, 150px tall) 5. For landscape images: create wide short cells (e.g., 200px wide, 100px tall) 6. Check original image dimensions before setting cell size 7. Avoid mode 2 unless exact cell fill is required and distortion is acceptable

Default to mode 1 for automatic aspect ratio maintenance. Only use mode 2 when exact cell fill is required and distortion is acceptable. Use mode 4 for precise control with known dimensions.

Invalid mode number (not 1-4), negative height/width values, missing required URL parameter, or too many parameters provided. Syntax errors in formula structure like incorrect comma placement or quote mismatch.

1. Verify mode is 1, 2, 3, or 4 only (no other values accepted) 2. Ensure height and width are positive numbers when using mode 4 3. Confirm URL parameter is first and in quotes (for hardcoded) or cell reference 4. Check for extra commas or missing parameters 5. Review formula syntax: =IMAGE(url, [mode], [height], [width]) 6. Verify quotes are matched (opening and closing quotes) 7. Don't use height/width parameters without mode 4 8. Check for typos in parameter order

Follow syntax template exactly. Use formula builder or autocomplete. Test with simple example before complex implementations. Validate parameter types match requirements.

Using mode 3 (original size) with images that don't match expected cell dimensions. High-resolution images appear huge, low-resolution images appear tiny. Cell size not adjusted to accommodate image actual dimensions.

1. Check image actual dimensions (right-click image in browser > Inspect or Properties) 2. Switch to mode 1 for automatic sizing: =IMAGE(url, 1) 3. Use mode 4 with specific dimensions: =IMAGE(url, 4, 200, 200) 4. Adjust cell dimensions to match image size when using mode 3 5. For icons, use mode 4 with small dimensions (24x24 or 32x32) 6. For photos, use mode 1 and adjust cell size to desired display size 7. Consider pre-resizing images at hosting level for consistent dimensions

Understand your image dimensions before choosing mode. Use mode 1 for automatic scaling, mode 4 for precise control. Avoid mode 3 unless exact original size is required.

Some image servers block cross-origin requests due to CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) policies. Server refuses to serve images to Google Sheets requests due to security headers.

1. Use image hosting services that allow cross-origin access (most CDNs do) 2. Upload images to Google Drive with public sharing enabled 3. Use dedicated image hosting like Imgur, Cloudinary, or AWS S3 with CORS enabled 4. Contact image server administrator to whitelist Google's servers 5. Download image and re-host on CORS-friendly service 6. Verify server response headers allow cross-origin access

Choose reliable image hosting with permissive CORS policies. Test URLs before large-scale deployment. Use established CDN services for production.