Excel specifications and limits

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Worksheet and workbook specifications and limits

Feature Maximum limit
Open workbooks Limited by available memory and system resources
Worksheet size 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns
Column width 255 characters
Row height 409 points
Page breaks 1,026 horizontal and vertical
Total number of characters that a cell can contain 32,767 characters
Characters in a header or footer 255
Sheets in a workbook Limited by available memory (default is 3 sheets)
Colors in a workbook 16 million colors (32 bit with full access to 24 bit color spectrum)
Named views (view: A set of display and print settings that you can name and apply to a workbook. You can create more than one view of the same workbook without saving separate copies of the workbook.) in a workbook Limited by available memory
Unique cell formats/cell styles 64,000
Fill styles 256
Line weight and styles 256
Unique font types 1,024 global fonts available for use; 512 per workbook
Number formats in a workbook Between 200 and 250, depending on the language version of Excel that you have installed
Names in a workbook Limited by available memory
Windows in a workbook Limited by available memory
Hyperlinks in a worksheet 66,530 hyperlinks
Panes in a window 4
Linked sheets Limited by available memory
Scenarios (scenario: A named set of input values that you can substitute in a worksheet model.) Limited by available memory; a summary report shows only the first 251 scenarios
Changing cells in a scenario 32
Adjustable cells in Solver 200
Custom functions Limited by available memory
Zoom range 10 percent to 400 percent
Reports Limited by available memory
Sort references 64 in a single sort; unlimited when using sequential sorts
Undo levels 100
Fields in a data form 32
Workbook parameters 255 parameters per workbook
Items displayed in filter drop-down lists 10,000
Noncontiguous cells that can be selected 2,147,483,648 cells

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Calculation specifications and limits

Feature Maximum limit
Number precision 15 digits
Smallest allowed negative number -2.2251E-308
Smallest allowed positive number 2.2251E-308
Largest allowed positive number 9.99999999999999E+307
Largest allowed negative number -9.99999999999999E+307
Largest allowed positive number via formula 1.7976931348623158e+308
Largest allowed negative number via formula -1.7976931348623158e+308
Length of formula contents 8,192 characters
Internal length of formula 16,384 bytes
Iterations 32,767
Worksheet arrays Limited by available memory
Selected ranges 2,048
Arguments in a function 255
Nested levels of functions 64
User defined function categories 255
Number of available worksheet functions 341
Size of the operand stack 1,024
Cross-worksheet dependency 64,000 worksheets that can refer to other sheets
Cross-worksheet array formula dependency Limited by available memory
Area dependency Limited by available memory
Area dependency per worksheet Limited by available memory
Dependency on a single cell 4 billion formulas that can depend on a single cell
Linked cell content length from closed workbooks 32,767
Earliest date allowed for calculation January 1, 1900 (January 1, 1904, if 1904 date system is used)
Latest date allowed for calculation December 31, 9999
Largest amount of time that can be entered 9999:59:59

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Charting specifications and limits

Feature Maximum limit
Charts linked to a worksheet Limited by available memory
Worksheets referred to by a chart 255
Data series (data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern and is represented in the chart legend. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series.) in one chart 255
Data points (data points: Individual values that are plotted in a chart. Related data points make up a data series. Data points are represented by bars, columns, lines, slices, dots, and other shapes. These shapes are called data markers.) in a data series for 2-D charts Limited by available memory
Data points in a data series for 3-D charts Limited by available memory
Data points for all data series in one chart Limited by available memory

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PivotTable and PivotChart report specifications and limits

Feature Maximum limit
PivotTable reports (PivotTable report: An interactive, crosstabulated Excel report that summarizes and analyzes data, such as database records, from various sources, including ones that are external to Excel.) on a sheet Limited by available memory
Unique items per field 1,048,576
Row (row field: A field that's assigned a row orientation in a PivotTable report. Items associated with a row field are displayed as row labels.) or column fields (column field: A field that's assigned a column orientation in a PivotTable report. Items associated with a column field are displayed as column labels.) in a PivotTable report Limited by available memory
Report filters in a PivotTable report 256 (may be limited by available memory)
Value fields in a PivotTable report 256
Calculated item (calculated item: An item within a PivotTable field or PivotChart field that uses a formula you create. Calculated items can perform calculations by using the contents of other items within the same field of the PivotTable report or PivotChart report.) formulas in a PivotTable report Limited by available memory
Report filters in a PivotChart report (PivotChart report: A chart that provides interactive analysis of data, like a PivotTable report. You can change views of data, see different levels of detail, or reorganize the chart layout by dragging fields and by showing or hiding items in fields.) 256 (may be limited by available memory)
Value fields in a PivotChart report 256
Calculated item formulas in a PivotChart report Limited by available memory
Length of the MDX name for a PivotTable item 32,767
Length for a relational PivotTable string 32,767
Items displayed in filter drop-down lists 10,000

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Shared workbook specifications and limits

Feature Maximum limit
Users who can open and share a shared workbook (shared workbook: A workbook set up to allow multiple users on a network to view and make changes at the same time. Each user who saves the workbook sees the changes made by other users.) at the same time 256
Personal views (view: A set of display and print settings that you can name and apply to a workbook. You can create more than one view of the same workbook without saving separate copies of the workbook.) in a shared workbook Limited by available memory
Days that change history (change history: In a shared workbook, information that is maintained about changes made in past editing sessions. The information includes the name of the person who made each change, when the change was made, and what data was changed.) is maintained 32,767 (default is 30 days)
Workbooks that can be merged at one time Limited by available memory
Cells that can be highlighted in a shared workbook 32,767
Colors used to identify changes made by different users when change highlighting is turned on 32 (each user is identified by a separate color; changes made by the current user are highlighted with navy blue)
Excel tables in a shared workbook

0 (zero)

 Note   A workbook that contains one or more Excel tables cannot be shared.

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Applies to:
Excel 2010