##### in Excel: what it means and how to fix it
##### isn't a real error: the column is too narrow to show the number or date. Make the column wider by double-clicking the border to the right of the column letter.
Try the first exercises for freeIn the lesson Formatting cells
What do the hash signs mean?
A cell full of hash signs, such as #####, isn't a real error message. The number or date is simply too wide for the column. Excel never shows only half a number: of 1,250,000 you might then only see 1,250, and that's a very different number. That's why it shows hash signs until the column is wide enough.
The number itself is fine: click the cell, and the formula bar shows what's in it. There's one exception: a negative date or time always shows hash signs, however wide the column is.
When do you see hash signs?
- You type a large amount in a narrow column, or choose a format with a currency symbol and decimal places.
- You choose a long date format, such as Sunday 15 March 2026, in a narrow column.
- You make a column narrower while there are already numbers in it.
- You subtract a later date from an earlier one and the result has a date format: a negative date doesn't exist.
Getting rid of the hash signs, step by step
This is how to fix the error:
- Click the cell with hash signs and look in the formula bar: it shows the number or date as Excel stores it.
- At the top, point at the border to the right of the column letter, until the mouse pointer becomes a double arrow.
- Double-click: Excel makes the column exactly as wide as the longest number. You can also drag the border to the right.
- If the hash signs stay, check whether the result is a negative date or time. Then set the cell to the General or Number format, or turn the subtraction around.
Where it often goes wrong
- A negative date or time also shows hash signs, however wide the column is. That happens when you subtract a later date from an earlier one and the result has a date format.
Practise this in the lesson Formatting cells. The first exercises are free.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see hash signs with text?
Text simply runs on into the empty cell next to it, or is cut off if that cell is filled. Excel never shows half a number or date: you'd read the wrong number.