Spreadsheet Best Practices: Stop Making These Mistakes

Data Entry Rules

• One data point per cell: Don't put 'John Smith' in one cell — use separate First Name and Last Name columns
• Consistent formats: All dates in the same format, all currencies with the same symbol
• No merged cells: They break sorting, filtering, and formulas
• No blank rows/columns: They break range references

Structural Rules

1. Headers in row 1, data starts row 2
2. One table per sheet
3. No calculations mixed with raw data
4. Keep a backup of raw data (never modify originals)

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