OFFSET
Quirk foundCategory: Lookup and reference · Last tested 2026-08-06
Real, executed compatibility results for the OFFSET 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 OFFSET’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 OFFSET working in LibreOffice?
OFFSET 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
- =OFFSET(A1,-1,0) on LibreOffice Calc returned #VALUE!, but the documented/expected result is #REF!. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/offset-function-c8de19ae-dd79-4b9b-a14e-b4d906d11b66 -- 'If rows and cols offset reference over the edge of the worksheet, OFFSET returns the #REF! error value.'; MISMATCH vs expected: expected '#REF!', got '#VALUE!'
Executed test cases
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-06)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =OFFSET(A1,2,1) | Move 2 rows down and 1 column right from A1, landing on B3 | 99 | 99 | Matched |
| =SUM(OFFSET(A1,1,0,3,1)) | height=3, width=1 builds a 3-row-tall range starting 1 row below A1 (A2:A4), then sums it | 60 | 60 | Matched |
| =OFFSET(A1,-1,0) | Offsetting above row 1 (off the top edge of the worksheet) -> #REF! | #VALUE! | #REF! https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/offset-function-c8de19ae-dd79-4b9b-a14e-b4d906d11b66 -- 'If rows and cols offset reference over the edge of the worksheet, OFFSET returns the #REF! error value.' |
Mismatch |
| =OFFSET(B2,0,0) | rows=0, cols=0 returns a reference to the exact starting cell | 5 | 5 | Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel: official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation