
When you see # in Excel, usually it means that the data is too large to fit into a cell. In the following sections, we will explore each use case in more detail, and provide tips and tricks to help you master the use of the # sign in Excel. In dynamic array formulas that return multiple values, the # sign is used to construct a spill range reference that refers to the entire range returned by the formula, for example A2#. For instance, the #0.00 format code will display numbers with two decimal places and a space separating thousands. The number sign is also used as a digit placeholder in Excel number formats. Besides, # can appear in cells containing negative date or time values.

A sequence of # characters in a cell usually indicates that the cell is not wide enough to display the value in it.

The #symbol in Excel has various meanings depending on the context:
