FAQ
Answers to common technical questions about CoinTable formulas.
How do I refresh prices?
Press Refresh in the CoinTable panel, or choose Refresh data from the CoinTable menu under Extensions. Refresh updates every CoinTable formula in the file, across all sheets. Each coin in each currency uses one update, and the same coin again within 6 hours is free: 50 cells showing =COINTABLE("BTC") use 1 update. If a refresh needs more free updates than you have left, CoinTable asks first. Refresh what's left updates as many coins as your updates cover, and the rest keep their values. On Plus, prices also refresh when an editor opens the file, and every hour once you turn on auto-refresh for the spreadsheet. Keyboard shortcuts that recalculate the sheet don't fetch new prices: Google Sheets keeps the results it has until CoinTable enters the formulas again.
Why does a cell show #NAME?
#NAME? has two causes. 1. The coin isn't in quotes. =COINTABLE(BTC) shows #NAME?; write =COINTABLE("BTC"). Curly quotes, like “BTC” copied from a chat or notes app, break a formula too. Retype the quotes, or use the Copy button next to every formula on this site. 2. CoinTable hasn't been opened in this spreadsheet yet. Choose Extensions > CoinTable > Open once, and the cells fill in by themselves.
What does #ERROR! mean?
#ERROR! means the formula couldn't return a value; hover over the cell to read why. The message says what to fix, such as For a pair write "BTC/EUR". or Coin "XYZQ" not found. Check the ticker, e.g. "BTC". If a cell says "Choose Extensions › CoinTable › Open", do that once. "CoinTable needs edit access to this spreadsheet." means you can only view the file. "No free updates left until …" means this month's free updates are used up, and the message says when they reset. Errors use no updates. The COINTABLE page lists every message with its fix.
What does N/A mean?
N/A never means a coin is locked to a plan: every field, 10,000+ coins and 63 currencies work on Free, and N/A isn't one of CoinTable's messages. Google Sheets shows #N/A when a function such as GOOGLEFINANCE or VLOOKUP finds no value, so check which function the cell uses. When a CoinTable formula can't return a value, the cell says why. For crypto, you can keep a GOOGLEFINANCE formula and swap the function name: =GOOGLEFINANCE("CURRENCY:BTCEUR") becomes =COINTABLE("CURRENCY:BTCEUR"). Do this only for crypto. COINTABLE reads every ticker as a coin, and some stock and index tickers are also coins: TSLA, META, SPX and GOLD. A stock formula would quietly show a coin's price.
Do my CT_ formulas still work?
Yes. CT_PRICE and the other CT_ functions keep working, with the same arguments, results and messages. New fields, periods, dates and whole columns come only to COINTABLE. To move a spreadsheet, open the CoinTable panel and press Switch to COINTABLE: it rewrites the formulas so the numbers stay the same, and nothing changes until you press it. See Legacy CT_ functions.
Why doesn't a formula refresh?
Refresh, refresh on open and the hourly refresh on Plus update every CoinTable formula in the file, also one inside IFERROR or arithmetic, such as =IFERROR(COINTABLE(A2),0), or one that points to another sheet. A price on a date doesn't refresh, because a past price doesn't change. If a value looks old, remember that prices are up to 30 minutes old on Free and up to 5 on Plus. Keyboard shortcuts that recalculate the sheet don't fetch new prices.
How often do prices update?
On Free, prices are up to 30 minutes old. On Plus, up to 5 minutes. When the data source is busy, prices can be older, up to an hour. Prices refresh when you press Refresh. On Plus, they also refresh when an editor opens the file, and every hour once you turn on Auto for the spreadsheet, even while it's closed.
Can I use coin names or IDs instead of tickers?
No. CoinTable formulas take tickers, such as BTC for Bitcoin: =COINTABLE("BTC"). A name such as "bitcoin" is read as a ticker, so it shows an error or a different coin. Tickers aren't case-sensitive and can come from another cell, like =COINTABLE(A2). If several coins share a ticker, CoinTable uses the one its data provider ranks first, usually the largest. When a coin changes its ticker, the old ticker may stop working or point to a different coin.
Why does changepct return 1.5 instead of 1.5%?
changepct and athchangepct return the percentage as a plain number, as in GOOGLEFINANCE: 1.5 means +1.5%, and an athchangepct result of -33.4 means 33.4% below the all-time high. To show a % sign, divide by 100 and format the cell as a percent: =COINTABLE("ETH", "changepct")/100.
Where does CoinTable get its price data?
CoinTable gets market data from a third-party crypto data provider. Its own server at cointable.pro fetches the data and passes it to your sheet: prices are up to 30 minutes old on Free and up to 5 minutes on Plus. You don't need an account or API key with any data provider.
Does CoinTable work in Excel?
No. CoinTable is a Google Sheets add-on, installed from the Google Workspace Marketplace, and its formulas work only in Google Sheets.
Can CoinTable show past prices?
Yes, on Plus. =COINTABLE("BTC", "price", DATE(2026,6,30)) shows Bitcoin's price on June 30, 2026. The date can also be text like "2026-06-30" or a cell with a date. It works for price only, within the last year, and the day is counted in your spreadsheet's time zone. CoinTable doesn't send price alerts or offer a separate API.
What happens when I run out of free updates?
When your free updates run out, cells keep their last values. CoinTable marks each one with a small red corner. Hover over it to read, for example: "Last updated Oct 23. No free updates left until Nov 1. To update now: Extensions > CoinTable > Upgrade to Plus." A cell that never had a value shows #ERROR! with "No free updates left until Nov 1. To load this value now: Extensions > CoinTable > Upgrade to Plus." Free updates reset shortly after 00:00 UTC on the 1st, and unused ones don't carry over. The CoinTable menu shows how many are left, and the panel warns you when 80% are used. After the reset, press Refresh to update the spreadsheet. If you upgrade, press Refresh once Plus is active.
Whose updates does a shared spreadsheet use?
In a shared spreadsheet, formulas that recalculate on their own use the updates of the first person who used CoinTable in that file. When a Plus editor opens the file, it moves to their Plus account, and from then on it refreshes when anyone opens it. When the file is out of updates, an editor who still has some takes it over when they press Refresh or open the CoinTable panel. Refresh uses the updates of whoever presses it, and Plus auto-refresh uses the account of the editor who turned it on.
How do I get support?
Email hi@cointable.pro. The contact page lists what to include, such as the formula as you typed it and what the cell shows. In the add-on, the ⋮ menu of the CoinTable panel also has Help center and Contact support.