CELL
Supported, behaves as documentedCategory: Information · Last tested 2026-09-01
Real compatibility results for the CELL function: executed in Excel for the web, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc, with desktop Excel behavior from Microsoft’s official documentation (we do not run desktop Excel — Excel for the web is a different application and is executed separately). Syntax and links to that documentation are below.
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel (desktop) | Yes | No — documented only | n/a |
| Excel for the web | — | Yes (recalc, 2026-09-01) | Supported, behaves as documented |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Yes (Drive import, 2026-08-31) | Supported, behaves as documented |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (25.8.7.3, 2026-08-31) | Supported, behaves as documented |
LibreOffice version history
We executed the same test cases under each LibreOffice release to show exactly when CELL’s support changed — not documentation claims, real results.
| LibreOffice version | Verdict | Tested |
|---|---|---|
| 24.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 24.8.7.2 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 25.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 25.8.7.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
Executed test cases
Excel for the web (executed 2026-09-01 via OneDrive recalculation)
These values come from Excel for the web, not from desktop Excel. They are two different implementations of the calculation engine, and this run measured only the web one: the corpus was uploaded to OneDrive as .xlsx, recalculated by Excel for the web on open, and downloaded again for readback. Excel for the web is a rolling service with no pinnable version, so the run is identified by its date. Where a value here disagrees with the Expected column — which is Microsoft’s documentation of the desktop product — we cannot tell you whether the web engine diverges from the desktop one or the documentation is wrong about both, because we do not run desktop Excel.
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =CELL("row",B7) | The documented "row" info_type returns the row number of the referenced cell | 7 | 7ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "row" as returning the "Row number of the cell in reference". B7 is in row 7. This is one of the four info_types this corpus tests, because it depends only on the reference itself -- see the exclusions listed on the "type" cases below |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",D2) | The documented "col" info_type returns the column number of the referenced cell | 4 | 4ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "col" as returning the "Column number of the cell in reference". Column D is the 4th column |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",C3:F9) | A multi-cell reference, where the documentation says the upper-left cell is used | 3 | 3ProvenanceExcel documents that "address" returns the "Reference of the first cell in reference" and that "contents" returns the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference", so a range argument resolves to its upper-left cell. C3 is in column C, the 3rd column |
Matched |
| =CELL("contents",A1) | The documented "contents" info_type returns the value of the referenced cell | 42 | 42ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "contents" as returning the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference; not a formula". A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A1) | The documented "type" info_type returns "v" for a cell holding a value | v | vProvenanceExcel documents info_type "type" as returning "'v' for value if the cell contains anything else" (that is, anything other than blank or a text constant). A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A2) | The documented "type" info_type returns "l" for a cell holding a text constant | l | lProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'l' for label if the cell contains a text constant". A2 holds the text "hello" |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A3) | The documented "type" info_type returns "b" for an empty cell | b | bProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'b' for blank if the cell is empty". A3 is deliberately left unset. EXCLUSIONS: this corpus tests only the four deterministic info_types "row", "col", "contents" and "type". The others are deliberately omitted because their results are not a property of the formula: "address" and "filename" depend on the workbook's path and quoting (and "filename" is documented to return empty text for an unsaved sheet); "format", "color", "parentheses", "prefix", "protect" and "width" depend on cell formatting, column width and sheet protection that survive an .xlsx round-trip inconsistently, and Microsoft documents all six as unsupported in Excel for the web, Excel Mobile and Excel Starter; and the reference-omitted form CELL(info_type) is excluded because Microsoft's own page warns it reports "your active cell" at calculation time and "does not reliably produce information about a specific cell" -- it is volatile by design and could not be asserted against any fixed value |
Matched |
Google Sheets (executed 2026-08-31 via Drive import)
Google Sheets is a rolling service with no pinnable version, so this run is identified by its date. The corpus was imported to Drive as .xlsx, recalculated by Sheets, and exported back for readback.
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =CELL("row",B7) | The documented "row" info_type returns the row number of the referenced cell | 7 | 7ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "row" as returning the "Row number of the cell in reference". B7 is in row 7. This is one of the four info_types this corpus tests, because it depends only on the reference itself -- see the exclusions listed on the "type" cases below |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",D2) | The documented "col" info_type returns the column number of the referenced cell | 4 | 4ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "col" as returning the "Column number of the cell in reference". Column D is the 4th column |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",C3:F9) | A multi-cell reference, where the documentation says the upper-left cell is used | 3 | 3ProvenanceExcel documents that "address" returns the "Reference of the first cell in reference" and that "contents" returns the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference", so a range argument resolves to its upper-left cell. C3 is in column C, the 3rd column |
Matched |
| =CELL("contents",A1) | The documented "contents" info_type returns the value of the referenced cell | 42 | 42ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "contents" as returning the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference; not a formula". A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A1) | The documented "type" info_type returns "v" for a cell holding a value | v | vProvenanceExcel documents info_type "type" as returning "'v' for value if the cell contains anything else" (that is, anything other than blank or a text constant). A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A2) | The documented "type" info_type returns "l" for a cell holding a text constant | l | lProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'l' for label if the cell contains a text constant". A2 holds the text "hello" |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A3) | The documented "type" info_type returns "b" for an empty cell | b | bProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'b' for blank if the cell is empty". A3 is deliberately left unset. EXCLUSIONS: this corpus tests only the four deterministic info_types "row", "col", "contents" and "type". The others are deliberately omitted because their results are not a property of the formula: "address" and "filename" depend on the workbook's path and quoting (and "filename" is documented to return empty text for an unsaved sheet); "format", "color", "parentheses", "prefix", "protect" and "width" depend on cell formatting, column width and sheet protection that survive an .xlsx round-trip inconsistently, and Microsoft documents all six as unsupported in Excel for the web, Excel Mobile and Excel Starter; and the reference-omitted form CELL(info_type) is excluded because Microsoft's own page warns it reports "your active cell" at calculation time and "does not reliably produce information about a specific cell" -- it is volatile by design and could not be asserted against any fixed value |
Matched |
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-31)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =CELL("row",B7) | The documented "row" info_type returns the row number of the referenced cell | 7 | 7ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "row" as returning the "Row number of the cell in reference". B7 is in row 7. This is one of the four info_types this corpus tests, because it depends only on the reference itself -- see the exclusions listed on the "type" cases below |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",D2) | The documented "col" info_type returns the column number of the referenced cell | 4 | 4ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "col" as returning the "Column number of the cell in reference". Column D is the 4th column |
Matched |
| =CELL("col",C3:F9) | A multi-cell reference, where the documentation says the upper-left cell is used | 3 | 3ProvenanceExcel documents that "address" returns the "Reference of the first cell in reference" and that "contents" returns the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference", so a range argument resolves to its upper-left cell. C3 is in column C, the 3rd column |
Matched |
| =CELL("contents",A1) | The documented "contents" info_type returns the value of the referenced cell | 42 | 42ProvenanceExcel documents info_type "contents" as returning the "Value of the upper-left cell in reference; not a formula". A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A1) | The documented "type" info_type returns "v" for a cell holding a value | v | vProvenanceExcel documents info_type "type" as returning "'v' for value if the cell contains anything else" (that is, anything other than blank or a text constant). A1 holds the number 42 |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A2) | The documented "type" info_type returns "l" for a cell holding a text constant | l | lProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'l' for label if the cell contains a text constant". A2 holds the text "hello" |
Matched |
| =CELL("type",A3) | The documented "type" info_type returns "b" for an empty cell | b | bProvenanceExcel documents "type" as returning "'b' for blank if the cell is empty". A3 is deliberately left unset. EXCLUSIONS: this corpus tests only the four deterministic info_types "row", "col", "contents" and "type". The others are deliberately omitted because their results are not a property of the formula: "address" and "filename" depend on the workbook's path and quoting (and "filename" is documented to return empty text for an unsaved sheet); "format", "color", "parentheses", "prefix", "protect" and "width" depend on cell formatting, column width and sheet protection that survive an .xlsx round-trip inconsistently, and Microsoft documents all six as unsupported in Excel for the web, Excel Mobile and Excel Starter; and the reference-omitted form CELL(info_type) is excluded because Microsoft's own page warns it reports "your active cell" at calculation time and "does not reliably produce information about a specific cell" -- it is volatile by design and could not be asserted against any fixed value |
Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel (desktop): official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation