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EXCEL FORMULA INTEGRITY VALIDATION USING POWER AUTOMATE
OVERVIEW I built a Power Automate workflow to validate Excel financial models and alert errors in real-time. Excel Agent Mode can miss formula dependencies and reconciliation checks. This workflow ensures formula integrity and sends real-time email alerts when issues are detected. FLOW LOGIC Trigger – Starts when an Excel file in OneDrive is modified List Rows – Retrieves validation table Filter Array – Keeps rows where Status = "Error" Initialize Variable – Prepares summary string Apply to Each – Adds each failed check Condition – Sends email if errors exist Send Email – Include bold red highlights for errors SAMPLE EMAIL ALERT A validation error was found in your financial model. Net Income Flow-through: Error (11/04/2025 03:30) Test Error Trigger: Error (11/04/2025 03:30) Please review the Excel model and correct the issues. USAGE INSTRUCTIONS Upload your Excel file to OneDrive with the validation table Update the Power Automate flow to point to the correct file and table Ensure the Filter Array step checks Status = "Error" Save and test the flow; errors trigger email alerts Optional: Customize the email template for formatting or recipients WHY THIS MATTERS Excel Agent Mode may miss formula linkage or integrity issues Dependent relationships may be misinterpreted Workbooks may be modified without validation records This workflow ensures: Formula integrity is maintained Errors trigger real-time alerts Audit trails are preserved REFERENCE Microsoft Support: Agent Mode FAQ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/frequently-asked-questions-about-agent-mode-in-excel-frontier-1cfd906d-40b4-46be-8e2d-65b893e28a02?utm_source=chatgpt.com GITHUB REPOSITORY For full workflow and files: https://github.com/olufemiolamoyegun/excel-formula-integrity-validation?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Question with this forum itself
Why is the "Start a Discussion" button so hard to find. I doesn't show up for me unless I use a really obscure link to get here. What am I doing wrong that that button is nowhere to be found when I come to this site normally? Also the share links on the left side are very obstructive. It blocks text and I cannot get rid of it.
pivot table
In recent versions of Excel 365 for Mac, the drag-and-drop behavior in PivotTables has regressed significantly compared to previous releases. Specifically, when attempting to move a field from the Row or Column area into the Filter area, Excel often interprets the action as a removal rather than a relocation. This breaks the intuitive manipulation of Pivot layouts that has been standard for years. Additional regressions include: Reduced responsiveness of the Field List pane Inconsistent behavior between older PivotTables (created in previous versions) and new ones Hidden or unavailable “Classic PivotTable Layout” options Lack of visual feedback when dragging fields between areas Increased reliance on context menus for basic layout changes Incoherence between Mac and Windows versions of Excel These changes hinder productivity for advanced users who rely on fast, flexible layout adjustments. Suggested improvements: Restore or make optional the classic drag-and-drop behavior Ensure consistent handling of field movements across all areas (Filter, Row, Column, Data) Improve visual cues and drop zones during field manipulation Guarantee parity between Mac and Windows versions Excel’s PivotTable interface used to be a model of intuitive design. Please consider restoring that flexibility — especially for users who build and modify complex reports daily.Is there a way to work around Circular reference in Dynamic Array?
Hi! I am trying to convert a table into a dynamic array, but the rows in the table is referring to other column's previous row value, so when I try to convert it into a dynamic array, it'll become a circular reference. Is there a way to work around it? I attached the example excel file to this post for your reference. This is just a simplified example of the actual table I am trying to convert. I tried the "Iterative Calculation" option , the calculation will be correct. But the problem is, the original excel table in my case is very complicated, so even if I set the "Max calculate times" to 10,000, the calculation can not be finished, leaving at least half of the values wrong. My alternative approach is to solve this half dynamically. But I consider it ugly... Leaving only col1 dynamic, and other columns will have to fill down the formula to "row 1048576", which is not pretty. (col1 is actually referring to other places in the real case) Is there a way to work around this and make the table fully dynamic? Thank you! Best Regards, Alan
Automatically convert numbers to time
Hello I have a total of 6 columns in a large file, in which different times have to be entered. Is there a way to convert entered numbers to the time format? Background is-I want to bypass the input of the : Example: I enter 0925 in the field and when I confirm, the value is converted to the time 09:25. Thank you in advance
Microsoft 365 Copilot Bought on Play Store not Received
I bought MS 365 Copilot from Play Store. When Google Play Store couldn't deducted my sub from my primary payment method (from Country A), they used my backup payment method (from Country B) - which wasn't a problem for me. The money was deducted and still appears on my play store subs. However, my MS Account does not show any MS 365 Copilot subscription, which effectively means that I can't use the service. What's frustrating is I'm now being tossed around the two companies. Play Store says I should contact MS Team (devs of MS 365 Copilot) while MS Team doesn't reply to my emails sent to the emails on their Play Store app page. I tried regional phone numbers and I'm referred back to MS Team. I'm now left with no money and without the service that I've paid for. Anyone who knows how I can resolve this. I tried Play Store refund and they said my purchase does not qualify for a refund citing their policy. Additional Context: My account is registered in Country A, together with my primary payment method. My backup payment method is from Country B). I signed up for the trial version intending to buy. So, it's me not anyone else who purchased on my behalf. The transaction appears on my Google Play account and I've no problem with that. The challenge is: My money is gone, I’ve no access to the service for which the money was deducted. What frustrates more is all emails from Google Play team were sent through no-reply emails. So, effectively, I can't contact them back to clarify the challenge I'm facing. On the other hand, Microsoft team is unreachable. I sent several emails and none was replied. Worse, one of the emails on their Play Sore page returns: email does not exist... Until now, the product isn't on my MS account but appears on my Google Play account. The reason I'd tried the refund route was to get the money back so I can purchase an alternative service or retry with my primary payment method. It wasn't because I thought someone had purchased by mistake. Here is my MS Account subscription site showing expired sub Here is my Play Store showing my active sub: Has anyone had a similar challenge. If so, how was it resolved.A Quick Look at Purview Data Security Investigations
During the quiet holiday period, I tested the new Purview Data Security Investigations (DSI) solution, which seems to be put together from bits of Microsoft 365 together with Security Copilot and some generative AI. Assembling new solutions from existing components makes sense because it reduces engineering effort. Without real data, it's hard to know how effective DSI is, but the cost of an investigation came as a real surprise. https://office365itpros.com/2026/01/06/data-security-investigation/
Unbelievable mess in Excel files: rows show upside down.
What is happening here? My rows in Excel show upside down (see bellow). Sometimes it disappeared and became normal after scrolling, but this time it stays like you see on the attachment. What can I do? My MacOS is Sequoia 15.7.3 and Microsoft Excel is version 15.28 (16115).
Couldn't refresh data types (stocks) - sorry, our server is temporarily having problems.
Not sure if this is a coincidence as the date turned to 2026 but the stockhistory function server is not refreshing the data. Anyone else seeing this issue? My 365 license is still good so don't think it's a license issue. This is the message in Excel - Couldn't refresh data types - sorry, our server is temporarily having problems. We're working to fix it. Tried all suggested fixes (reboot, clear cache, log out/in) Anyone else?Need help creating a dynamic graph from data extracted from a pivot table
Hi experts, I have hourly data collected from our shared solar system (14 lots). I can get that data into an excel table easily, then use a pivot table to get it summarised by Date-Month.Day (rather than by hour) and Lot. A calculated column in the pivot table gives the percentage ratio of the solar power delivered each day to each lot. [Sidenote: The solar power is not delivered equally every day, but is demand based with an overall objective of eventually sharing the power equally, where equally depends on the strata lot allocations, so some lots get a different percentage than others. Furthermore, the distribution is split into 3 phases, where a given set of 4 or 5 lots share the same phase] I've added slicers to the resulting pivot so I can look at each month of data for each phase. [Note that the system went into operation on Nov 22, so the November data is only a few days, beginning Nov 22] What I'm trying to achieve is to get the data graphed to show the Ratio of Solar Delivered per day per Lot. Something like this, which is fine for Phase 1 for the month of November only: To create this graph, I used array formulas in some spare cells in the pivot table to tabulate the data like this: The table extends dynamically as I add months and/or phases to the pivot table display - which is great. Just what I wanted. BUT... the graph stays stuck on showing just the first four lots and the first 9 days because that was the size of the table when I grated the graph. I WANT THE GRAPH TO EXPAND DYNAMICALLY AS THE TABLE EXPANDS I've tried changing the Chart data range to accommodate the extra data, but if I then change back to a smaller set of data, the graph size does not change. viz- below is how the graph looks after changing the Chart data range to accommodate some extra data, then reduced to the original data set: I WANT THE GRAPH TO CONTRACT DYNAMICALLY AS THE TABLE CONTRACTS In other words, when I change the slicers to show the original data set, I want the graph to return to its original format ~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ I've read posts that talk about formatting your data as a table. Bit if I try and format by "helper" data as a table, I get the following warning: If I exclude the calculated headings, I get #SPILL errors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'm at a loss to work out how to create a dynamic graph. I'm hoping someone in the community can help - good luck and happy new year. And thanks for taking the effort to read this rather long post. If I can figure out how to add my source file to this post, I'll add it. In the meantime, you can view/download my source file here: https://1drv.ms/x/c/c95331b296c5ed04/IQCxxcpJWbyOTIXiDxyvmg9mAS5xcAADjTrP0JXBbs1IHBI?e=JJvVYH RedNectarSTOCKHISTORY and Stock Data not working
Is it only me? Or everyone else having the same problem? My Excel 365 cannot use STOCKHISTORY Function anymore. It shows #connect! Error. Also, I cannot use the stock data anymore. (The other data types are not functioning as well.) (The error message says "Sorry, we are having a temporary server error. We are trying to fix this problem.") Is it only me? Or everyone else is having this problem?
when I try to print from Excel I often get printing error
I usually get this error daily, often if I have more than one excel open at a time. Most of the time I can save what i am working on and close it. Reopen the excel file and it will print fine. But when I am in a crunch it is annoying that I cannot just print that sheet and move on. I can print fine from any other program/software I am running. Using Windows 11 Enterprise Microsoft 365 for Enterprise not sure what else you need, everything else prints fine.STOCKHISTORY function returns random #CONNECT error
STOCKHISTORY function intermittently returns #CONNECT! errors in Excel Microsoft 365 The same formulas sometimes return valid historical currency data and at other times return #CONNECT! without any change to the workbook Recalculating refreshing or reopening Excel may temporarily fix it The issue affects multiple symbols simultaneously suggesting a backend or service side problem rather than formula syntax Example formula STOCKHISTORY("EUR/USD", start_date, end_date) Is this a known issue or service degradation and is there any recommended workaround. Any official clarification or guidance would be appreciated.Conditional Formatting multiple conditions
Hey all! I need some help writing a formula for some conditional formatting I'm looking to do for a contact log. Basically, I want to highlight dated cells if the interaction with a contact is -14 days and -21 days from today's date. I've figured that out and am using the formula =DATEDIF($E7,$F$1,"D")>14 and =DATEDIF($E7,$F$1,"D")>21 However I also want to run conditional formatting so that the cells only highlight when the Contact info in the log is a unique value, and this is what I'm currently struggling with. For Confidentiality, I can't show the values populated in the Contact Column, but I can show an example of my table's columns if that helps. So in essence, I want the date formatting to run only if the contact value is a unique value, so that it is not flagging an old log of an interaction and only flagging the most recent interaction with that contact name if it is dated past 2-3 weeks. Is there anything I can build that will operate in this way? Thanks!
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