What is circular warning in Google Sheets?

#CIRCULAR! means a formula chain loops back on itself. Sheets blocks the loop until you break the cycle or enable iterative calculation for intentional circular models.

When to use it

Use error messages as a checklist when a formula returns an unexpected result or blocks a dependent report.

When to skip it

Do not treat every warning as fatal; some loading or circular notices are expected during imports or iterative models.

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