Formula Errors

How to Remove Curly Brackets from Excel Formulas Exported from Google Sheets

Camila Milosovich Oct 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove curly brackets that appear around formulas in an Excel workbook after downloading it from Google Sheets, as these brackets cause the formulas to behave as array formulas and return blank results.

How to Remove Curly Brackets from Excel Formulas Downloaded from Google Sheets

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Opening a Google Sheets file that has been downloaded and exported to the local device as a Microsoft Excel workbook.
Observed behavior: Formulas such as XLOOKUP are wrapped in curly brackets (e.g., {=IFERROR(XLOOKUP(...),"")}) and the cell results may remain blank until the formula is manually edited and confirmed.

Before you start

Before modifying your spreadsheet, check the version of Microsoft Excel you are using. Older versions do not fully support modern functions like XLOOKUP, which is why the export process wraps them in array brackets to force compatibility.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Remove Curly Brackets

This method is best for quick fixes when only a few specific cells contain array formula errors.

When Excel interprets a downloaded formula as a legacy array formula, it automatically wraps it in curly brackets. You can remove these manually, but you must confirm the formula as a standard formula rather than an array.

Enter Edit Mode

Double-click the cell containing the formula with curly brackets, or select the cell and press F2.

Delete the Brackets

Manually delete the opening curly bracket '{' at the beginning of the formula and the closing curly bracket '}' at the end.

Confirm the Formula

Press the Enter key normally. Do not press Ctrl+Shift+Enter, as this will re-apply the curly brackets.

Tip: The cell should now display the correct calculated value instead of remaining blank.

Solution 2

Force Recalculation Using Find and Replace

A highly practical workaround to fix thousands of affected cells at once without manually editing each formula.

Solution 3

Use Compatible Functions Before Exporting

Prevent the issue entirely by avoiding modern functions that trigger array conversion in older Excel versions.

WPS Spreadsheet Solution

Seamlessly Handle Google Sheets Exports with WPS Spreadsheet

Stop struggling with legacy formula conversion errors. Open your downloaded Google Sheets files in WPS Spreadsheet to enjoy native support for modern formulas like XLOOKUP without dealing with unwanted curly brackets or blank cells.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your computer.
2. Open the Exported File: Launch WPS Spreadsheet, navigate to Menu > Open, and select the .xlsx file you downloaded from Google Sheets.
3. Edit Without Errors: WPS Spreadsheet automatically parses the modern functions correctly, letting you view and edit formulas without the curly bracket array constraints.

Native support for modern functions like XLOOKUP and dynamic arraysExcellent Microsoft Office compatibility for seamless .xlsx file editingEliminates the need to manually fix array brackets after exporting from Google SheetsFree, lightweight, and user-friendly alternative to heavy spreadsheet tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do curly brackets appear in my downloaded Excel formulas?

Curly brackets {} denote a legacy array formula in Excel. They are added automatically during the Google Sheets export process if the translation engine believes the formula (such as XLOOKUP) requires array processing to function correctly in the target Excel format.

How can I quickly remove curly brackets from thousands of cells?

Manually editing thousands of cells is impractical. Instead, select the affected cells, press Ctrl+H to open Find and Replace, and replace the equals sign '=' with a new equals sign '='. This forces Excel to re-evaluate the entire range as standard formulas, stripping the brackets.

Will replacing XLOOKUP with VLOOKUP prevent these curly brackets?

Yes. If you are exporting a Google Sheets file to an older version of Excel that does not natively support XLOOKUP, replacing it with widely compatible functions like VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH before downloading will prevent Excel from wrapping the formulas in array brackets.

Excel & Data Problems