Worksheet and workbook specifications and limits

Feature

Maximum limit

Open workbooks

Limited by available memory and system resources

Total number of rows and columns on a worksheet

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

Maximum number of line feeds per cell

253

Sheets in a workbook

Limited by available memory (default is 1 sheet)

Colors in a workbook

16 million colors (32 bit with full access to 24 bit color spectrum)

Named views in a workbook

Limited by available memory

Unique cell formats/cell styles

65,490

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

65,530

Panes in a window

4

Linked sheets

Limited by available memory

Scenarios

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

Maximum limits of memory storage and file size for Data Model workbooks

32-bit environment is subject to 2 gigabytes (GB) of virtual address space, shared by Excel, the workbook, and add-ins that run in the same process. A data model’s share of the address space might run up to 500 – 700 megabytes (MB), but could be less if other data models and add-ins are loaded.

64-bit environment imposes no hard limits on file size. Workbook size is limited only by available memory and system resources.

Beginning with Excel 2016, Large Address Aware functionality lets 32-bit Excel consume twice the memory when users work on a 64-bit Windows operating system. For more information, see Large Address Aware capability change for Excel.

Note: Adding tables to the Data Model increases the file size. If you don’t plan to create complex Data Model relationships using many data sources and data types in your workbook, uncheck the Add this data to the Data Model box when you import or create tables, pivot tables, or data connections.

For more information, see Data Model specification and limits.

Processor Cores

64

File name length

218 characters - This includes the file path. For example, C:\Username\Documents\FileName.xlsx.

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

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 in one chart

255

Data points 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

PivotTable and PivotChart report specifications and limits

Feature

Maximum limit

PivotTable reports on a sheet

Limited by available memory

Unique items per field

1,048,576

Row or column fields 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 formulas in a PivotTable report

Limited by available memory

Report filters in a PivotChart report

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

Workbooks with the "Allow changes by more than one user..." setting enabled

If the Allow changes by more than one user... setting is on for a workbook, then the following information applies. This setting is accessible by clicking the Review tab > Share Workbook. Note that in newer versions of Excel, the Share Workbook button has been hidden. To unhide it, click File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. Open the list under Choose commands from and select All Commands. Scroll down that list until you see Share Workbook (Legacy). Select that item and click Add. Click OK. The Share Workbook button is now at the top of the Excel window.

Feature

Maximum limit

Users who can open the file at the same time

256

Personal views in the workbook

Limited by available memory

Days that change history 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

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 the workbook

0 (zero)

Note: A workbook that contains one or more Excel tables cannot have the Allow changes by more than one user... setting enabled.

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