Google Sheets – Why Can’t Input a Formula in Google Spreadsheet

Blank cells count towards the limit if they are within the range of non blank cells. The calculation is done by multiplying the number of the last row with data by the number of the last column with data

for example:

+----+---+---+---+
|    | A | B | C |
+----+---+---+---+
|  1 | x |   |   |
|  2 |   |   |   |
|  3 |   |   |   |
|  4 |   | x |   |
|  5 | x |   |   |
|  6 |   |   | x |
|  7 | x |   |   |
|  8 |   |   |   |
|  9 |   |   |   |
| 10 | x |   |   |
+----+---+---+---+

Although there are a lot of blank cells, and no more than once cell filled per row, the total cells calculation is 10 x 3 = 30

It is possible that non-visible characters are present in your spreadsheet (especially as your sheet was generated rather than manually created).

In a case such as the one below (if there is a space in the cell D4), there is no visual indicator of the final row.

+---+---+---+---+---+
|   | A | B | C | D |
+---+---+---+---+---+
| 1 | x |   |   |   |
| 2 | x |   |   |   |
| 3 |   | x |   |   |
| 4 |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+

To find out for sure what your 'end' cell is, put the focus on A1, then use Ctrl+Shift+End and the focus will move to the cell that is in the final row and the final column.

To remove any unwanted cells, select the first unwanted column, press Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow, then right-click and choose delete. Do a similar procedure to delete unwanted rows.

Partial formatting of cell content is a recent addition to Google Sheets, and it not really integrated with the rest of spreadsheet logic. The only thing you can format in this way is a string entered directly into a cell, as some text here. Using any kind of formula, even the simplest ="some text here", is incompatible with partial formatting.