FILTER, SORT and UNIQUE are 'dynamic-array' functions: one formula in one cell produces a whole range of results that overflows ('spills') into the cells next to it. A multi-column XLOOKUP return does the same thing.
Our grid stores one value per cell and has no spill model yet, so a real spilled result has nowhere to go. Rather than render garbage or silently disagree with Excel, these functions return a clear #CALC! 'needs dynamic arrays, coming soon' signal (IFERROR catches it), and the Smartsheet importer flags any FILTER/SORT/UNIQUE for manual review instead of mistranslating it.
Building this properly means real engineering: allocating the spilled range, #SPILL! collision detection when something's in the way, anchor-vs-spilled-cell rendering, and recompute across the whole spilled block when inputs change. It's planned, with no committed date, and split out from the XLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH card on purpose so we don't claim it before it exists.
Activity
- Ryan K. opened this entryJun 5, 2026
Split this out from the XLOOKUP card so the public story is true: the single-value lookups shipped; the dynamic-array set has not. These need a spill model, which is a real feature, not a tweak, so they get their own card and their own date when there is one.
Until the spill model lands, FILTER/SORT/UNIQUE return a clear #CALC! 'coming soon' rather than a broken array in a single cell. Honest beats impressive-looking-but-wrong.