ERROR.TYPE
Quirk foundCategory: Information · Last tested 2026-08-06
Real, executed compatibility results for the ERROR.TYPE function across Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc — verified by actually running it. Syntax and links to each vendor’s official documentation are below.
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (25.8.7.3, 2026-08-06) | Quirk found |
LibreOffice version history
We executed the same test cases under each LibreOffice release to show exactly when ERROR.TYPE’s support changed — not documentation claims, real results.
| LibreOffice version | Verdict | Tested |
|---|---|---|
| 24.2.0.3 | Quirk found | 2026-07-19 |
| 24.8.7.2 | Quirk found | 2026-07-19 |
| 25.2.0.3 | Quirk found | 2026-07-24 |
| 25.8.7.3 | Quirk found | 2026-08-06 |
Why isn't ERROR.TYPE working in LibreOffice?
ERROR.TYPE exists in LibreOffice 25.8.7.3, but it is not a drop-in match for
Excel — our executed tests found real behavioral differences (detailed in the test results on this
page). If a formula that works in Excel or Google Sheets misbehaves in LibreOffice, compare your usage
against the failing cases above before assuming your data is wrong.
Discovered quirks
- =ERROR.TYPE(OFFSET(A1,-1,0)) on LibreOffice Calc returned #N/A, but the documented/expected result is 4. MISMATCH vs expected: expected 4, got '#N/A'
- =ERROR.TYPE(SQRT(-1)) on LibreOffice Calc returned #N/A, but the documented/expected result is 6. MISMATCH vs expected: expected 6, got '#N/A'
Executed test cases
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-06)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =ERROR.TYPE(A1:A2 C1:C2) | Space-intersection of two non-overlapping ranges produces a genuine #NULL! error -> ERROR.TYPE code 1 | 1 | 1 #NULL!=1 confirmed via https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/error-type-function-10958677-7c8d-44f7-ae77-b9a9ee6eefaa |
Matched |
| =ERROR.TYPE(1/0) | #DIV/0! -> code 2 | 2 | 2 | Matched |
| =ERROR.TYPE("a"+1) | #VALUE! -> code 3 | 3 | 3 | Matched |
| =ERROR.TYPE(OFFSET(A1,-1,0)) | Offsetting above row 1 produces a genuine #REF! error -> code 4 | #N/A | 4 | Mismatch |
| =ERROR.TYPE(qwertyzz) | An undefined name reference produces #NAME? -> code 5 | 5 | 5 | Matched |
| =ERROR.TYPE(SQRT(-1)) | Square root of a negative number produces #NUM! -> code 6 | #N/A | 6 | Mismatch |
| =ERROR.TYPE(NA()) | #N/A -> code 7 | 7 | 7 Full 1-7 mapping confirmed via https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/error-type-function-10958677-7c8d-44f7-ae77-b9a9ee6eefaa |
Matched |
| =ERROR.TYPE(5) | Per docs, applying ERROR.TYPE to anything that is NOT an error value itself returns the #N/A error | #N/A | #N/A Confirmed via https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/error-type-function-10958677-7c8d-44f7-ae77-b9a9ee6eefaa: 'returns the #N/A error' for non-error input. |
Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel: official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation