Linked Data Refresh Error

Question

I have a currency converter that automatically updates every time I open my document. EUR->USD. I just now noticed that it is no longer updating.

I am getting an error: Couldn't refresh data types: You need to be online to refresh your linked data types. Check your connection and try again.

How can I fix this issue? I am online, when I manually refresh it nothing happens, and I just updated my M365 to make sure that wasn't the issue.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Jason G,

The message “You need to be online to refresh your linked data types. Check your connection and try again.” usually means Excel can’t reach the online service used by linked data types, even though your PC itself is connected to the internet.

For Excel for Windows, try the following steps in order:

1. Sign out of Excel and sign back in

Go to File > Account, sign out, close Excel completely, then reopen it and sign back in using the Microsoft account associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.

2. Check Connected Experiences / Privacy settings

In File > Account > Manage Settings (or Privacy Settings), make sure connected experiences are enabled. Linked data types rely on these services to refresh.

3. Verify Trust Center settings

Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Linked Data Types and confirm that linked data types are allowed.

4. Test without VPN or firewall filtering

If you’re using a VPN, proxy, or security/firewall software, temporarily disable it or try a different network. This issue can occur when Excel has general internet access but can’t reach the linked data types service endpoints.

5. Test in a brand‑new workbook

Create a new blank workbook, enter EUR/USD, convert it to the Currencies data type, and see if it refreshes there. This helps determine whether the issue is specific to one workbook or affects Excel more broadly.

6. If only one workbook is affected, recreate the data type

Convert the linked data type cells to plain values, then re‑enter and re‑link them to the Currencies data type. Occasionally a data type in a single workbook can become stuck and needs to be recreated.

7. Optional: test in Excel for the web

If possible, open the same workbook in Excel for the web and check whether the currency refresh works there. If it does, that points to a desktop‑client‑specific issue.

8. Run Quick Repair (last step)

If the issue persists, run Quick Repair for Microsoft 365 from Windows Apps & Features. Before doing this, be sure to save and back up the workbook.

If you can let us know whether the refresh also fails in a new blank workbook, and whether you’re using any VPN or security software, that should help narrow things down further.

If all workbooks fail and none of the steps above change the behavior, it may also be a temporary service‑side issue with linked data types, in which case trying again a bit later is often the only resolution.

For reference: Get help with linked data type refresh errors

Please let me know if this proves useful to you, or if you would like further assistance.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

The error indicates Excel cannot reach the online data source for the linked data type, even though the device is connected. Use these steps that apply specifically to linked data types:

1. Confirm sign‑in and subscription
   • In Excel, go to File > Account.
   • Make sure the user is signed in with the account that has the Microsoft 365 subscription.
   • Select Update Options > Update Now to ensure the latest Excel version is installed (already done, but this is a prerequisite for data types).
2. Verify requirements for linked data types
   • Check that the Excel version supports linked data types and that the account meets the requirements described in the linked data types FAQ. If the workbook was created in a version that only supports viewing data types, refresh and change operations will fail.
   • If available, try opening the same workbook in Excel for the web and refresh there. If it works in the web version, the issue is specific to the desktop client.
3. Check for known refresh issues
   • The error text “You need to be online to refresh your linked data types. Check your connection and try again.” is a standard linked data type refresh error. The documented mitigation is to verify the internet connection and try again later; intermittent service or provider issues can temporarily block refresh.
4. Temporarily turn off Automatic Refresh
   • Linked data types often refresh automatically in the background. If the error keeps appearing, turn off automatic refresh so the workbook remains usable:
     • Use Data Types Refresh Settings and set the data type to Manually instead of automatic refresh.
   • This prevents repeated error messages but means the EUR→USD value will not update until a manual refresh succeeds.
5. Manually refresh after conditions are resolved
   • After connectivity/service issues or permission problems are resolved, use a manual refresh on the data type. Note that manual refresh will fail for the same reasons as automatic refresh; until the underlying issue is fixed, the last successfully retrieved value remains in the workbook.

If the error persists across devices (desktop and web), with a confirmed subscription account and working internet, the remaining cause is typically a temporary problem on the data provider side; in that case, wait and retry later or consider using a different supported data type or method for currency conversion.

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References:

• Automatically refresh linked data types
• Linked data types FAQ and tips
• Get help with linked data type refresh errors