Google Sheet IMPORTRANGE Error "Import Range internal error" When Range is just a column

Question

In Google Sheet IMPORTRANGE function for single column in rage

=IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-bCoiKLjBlM5IGRo9wrdm", "sheet1!B:B") I get

"Import Range internal error."

But for

=IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-bCoiKLjBlM5IGRo9wrdm", "sheet1!B:C"), it works.

Is it a bug? up to now, it was the third time that I had to change them many times? Is there any consistent solution for it? I use this solution as temporary

=Query(IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-bCoiKLjBlM5IGRo9wrdm", "sheet1!B:C") , "Select Col1")

Finally:

I didn't get error for 5 day right now And in this link https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/204097721 has now been marked as fixed in the issue tracker.

Answer 1

These errors are usually temporary and go away in a few hours. To expedite that, modify your import formula slightly by replacing "Sheet1!B1:B" with "Sheet1!B:b" — the small letter case change is enough to let the call duck Google's cache and get fresh results, which should let you work around the issue.

To automate that to an extent, use this pattern:

=iferror( importrange("...", "Sheet1!B1:B"), importrange("...", "Sheet1!B:b") )

Also see https://support.google.com/docs/thread/131278661.

Answer 2

I try this solution, it works

Before IMPORTRANGE("id", "a:b")

Now IMPORTRANGE("id", "A:b")

Answer 3

There is a dirty solution that could be used temporarily. It does not shield you completely from that issue, it might still occur.

This:

IMPORTRANGE("id", "A:A")

Could be replaced with that (notice lower different case in the same range being imported 2nd time):

IFERROR(IMPORTRANGE("id", "A:A"), IMPORTRANGE("id", "A:a"))

I've seen this solution posted here by Vitaly, he got it from here.