Fixes / Excel · Checked

Excel #GETTING_DATA: what it means and how to fix it

Short answer

#GETTING_DATA is a temporary placeholder, not a real error. Excel shows it while a formula waits for data from an outside source, usually CUBEVALUE or other CUBE formulas reading the Data Model or an OLAP server, or a custom function from an add-in. If it doesn't clear, check that calculation is set to Automatic (Formulas > Calculation Options), then press Ctrl+Alt+F9.

What this message means

Excel puts #GETTING_DATA in a cell when the formula in it has asked an outside source for a value and the answer hasn't come back yet. Microsoft's CUBEVALUE documentation says the function "temporarily displays a #GETTING_DATA… message in the cell before all of the data is retrieved." The same placeholder is used for asynchronous custom functions from Office add-ins. Normally it disappears after a few seconds and is replaced by the value. It is a problem only when it stays put. That means the request never finished: calculation is paused, the connection or add-in isn't responding, or the workbook has so many CUBE formulas that retrieval takes minutes.

Common causes

CauseHow to tell
The data is still loading (large Data Model or many CUBE formulas)Cells change from #GETTING_DATA to numbers a few at a time, the status bar shows Calculating or a percentage, and the workbook has hundreds or thousands of CUBEVALUE/CUBEMEMBER formulas or a Data Model with millions of rows.
Calculation is set to Manual, so the pending queries never finishFormulas > Calculation Options shows Manual, the status bar may say Calculate, and the cells change only when you press F9.
The connection to the Data Model or OLAP server is broken or needs a refreshData > Refresh All returns an error or a sign-in prompt, the server or network share is offline, or other CUBE formulas in the file return #NAME? (Microsoft documents #NAME? for an invalid connection or unavailable OLAP server).
An add-in custom function isn't respondingThe stuck formula uses a function with an add-in prefix such as CONTOSO.PRICE(...) rather than a built-in function. The add-in's task pane is blank or shows an error, or the add-in isn't loaded on this computer or for this account.
A macro reads the cells before the asynchronous queries have finishedThe workbook looks fine when you calculate by hand, but a VBA routine copies, exports or checks values and captures #GETTING_DATA instead of numbers.

How to fix it

1. Give it time, then force a full recalculation

  1. Watch the status bar at the bottom of the Excel window. If it shows Calculating with a percentage, wait until it finishes.
  2. If the cells stay on #GETTING_DATA, press Ctrl+Alt+F9 (Windows) to recalculate every formula in all open workbooks.
  3. On a Mac, use Formulas > Calculate Now (or press Cmd+=).
  4. If only a few cells are stuck, select one, press F2, then press Enter to recalculate just that formula.

2. Turn calculation back to Automatic

  1. Go to the Formulas tab.
  2. Click Calculation Options and choose Automatic.
  3. If the workbook is very large and you want to keep Manual, leave it on Manual but press F9 after every refresh, and wait until the status bar clears before you read the results.
  4. Check this setting again after you open other workbooks. Excel uses the calculation mode of the first workbook opened in a session, so one Manual file can switch the others to Manual.

3. Refresh the data connection

Excel for Microsoft 365, 2021, 2019 on Windows. Power Pivot and the Data Model management tools are Windows-only, so Excel for Mac and Excel on the web may not be able to refresh CUBE formulas that point to a local Data Model.

  1. Go to Data > Refresh All (Ctrl+Alt+F5).
  2. If a sign-in or credentials prompt appears, sign in to the data source.
  3. Open Data > Queries & Connections, right-click the connection (for example ThisWorkbookDataModel), and choose Properties.
  4. Confirm the server, file path or database it points to still exists and you have access to it (VPN connected, network share reachable).
  5. If refresh keeps running in the background while formulas wait, clear Enable background refresh in the same Properties dialog, click OK, then Refresh All again.
  6. Press Ctrl+Alt+F9 after the refresh finishes.

4. Reload or reinstall the add-in behind a custom function

  1. Click the stuck cell and look at the formula bar. If the function name has a prefix (NAME.FUNCTION), it comes from an add-in.
  2. In Excel for Microsoft 365, go to Home > Add-ins (in some builds Insert > Get Add-ins > My Add-ins) and confirm the add-in is installed and signed in.
  3. Close and reopen the workbook so the add-in's runtime restarts. In Excel on the web, reload the browser tab.
  4. If it still hangs, remove the add-in and add it again, or ask whoever shared the workbook which add-in it needs.
  5. Custom functions don't run in Office on iPad or in volume-licensed perpetual Office 2021 and earlier on Windows. Open the file in Microsoft 365 or Excel on the web instead.

5. Reduce the number of CUBE formulas

  1. Count how many CUBEVALUE formulas the report uses (Home > Find & Select > Find, search for CUBEVALUE, click Find All).
  2. Replace repeated CUBEMEMBER calls with one cell that holds the member, and point other formulas at that cell.
  3. Simplify or remove complex CUBESET formulas, which are a known cause of very long or looping calculations.
  4. Where a full grid of CUBE formulas isn't needed, use a PivotTable connected to the Data Model instead. It retrieves the data in one query.
  5. Save, close and reopen the file, then recalculate.

6. Make macros wait for the queries to finish

Excel for Windows with VBA

  1. Before your macro reads CUBE formula results, add Application.CalculateUntilAsyncQueriesDone. Microsoft documents it as running all pending queries to OLEDB and OLAP data sources.
  2. If calculation is Manual, temporarily set Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic, call CalculateUntilAsyncQueriesDone, then set it back to xlCalculationManual.
  3. If you use RefreshAll first, turn off background refresh on the connection so the refresh finishes before the next line of code runs.
  4. Re-run the macro and confirm the output no longer contains #GETTING_DATA.

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Still not fixed?

Open the workbook on another computer or in Excel on the web to see whether the problem follows the file or stays with your machine. If it follows the file, the data source or add-in is the problem. Contact the person or IT team who owns the OLAP server, Power BI dataset or add-in, and give them the connection name from Data > Queries & Connections. If only your computer is affected, install Office updates (File > Account > Update Options > Update Now), then run a Quick Repair from Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 > Modify. For add-in functions, the add-in publisher's support page is usually the fastest route.

Questions people ask

Is #GETTING_DATA an error I need to fix?

Usually not. It's a placeholder Excel shows while a CUBE formula or add-in function waits for data, and it clears on its own. Treat it as a problem only if it stays in the cell after calculation has finished.

Why do my CUBEVALUE formulas stay on #GETTING_DATA until I press F9?

Calculation is almost always set to Manual. Set Formulas > Calculation Options > Automatic, or press F9 (Ctrl+Alt+F9 for a full recalculation) each time you refresh.

How do I make VBA wait until #GETTING_DATA is gone?

Call Application.CalculateUntilAsyncQueriesDone before reading the cells. It runs all pending OLEDB and OLAP queries. If calculation is Manual, switch it to Automatic for that call and back afterwards.

Why does the workbook work on Windows but show #GETTING_DATA on a Mac or in the browser?

CUBE formulas that read a local Power Pivot Data Model depend on Windows-only components, and add-in custom functions need the add-in installed for your account. Open the file in Excel for Windows, or install the same add-in on the other device.

What is the difference between #GETTING_DATA and #BUSY!?

Both mean Excel is still waiting for a result. #GETTING_DATA mostly appears with CUBE functions and older add-in functions, while current Excel versions often show #BUSY! for add-in custom functions and linked data. The fixes are the same: wait, recalculate, then check the connection or add-in.

Sources

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