How to auto-refresh GOOGLEFINANCE (and why it still lags)
Your GOOGLEFINANCE cells look frozen and you want them to update on their own. There's a setting for that — plus a script trick — but there's also a ceiling you can't code past. Here's both.
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July 24, 2026 · 5 min read
1. Turn on 'every minute' recalculation (the real fix)
Open File → Settings → Calculation and set Recalculation to On change and every minute. By default Sheets only recalculates on change, so GOOGLEFINANCE can sit still for a long time. Every-minute is the fastest native option — there's no per-second setting.
2. The Apps Script timer trick
To nudge it harder, some people add an Apps Script that edits a helper cell on a time-driven trigger, forcing a recalculation each run. It works, but it's a script to maintain — and it still can't beat the two limits below.
3. Why it still isn't real-time
Even with every-minute recalc and a script, two walls remain:
- Closed-tab freeze — GOOGLEFINANCE only recalculates while the sheet is open. Close the tab and every price is stale until you reopen it.
- The 15–20 minute delay — the price itself is exchange-delayed on purpose (here's why). Refreshing every minute just re-fetches a number that's already 20 minutes old.
If you actually need live, not just 'auto'
Auto-refresh fixes the "it looks frozen" problem, but not the "it's behind the market" problem. If you want prices that are genuinely current — and that keep updating without a recalc setting or a script — Stealth Quotes streams live prices into a spreadsheet with no formulas at all. Nothing to refresh, nothing to freeze.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I make GOOGLEFINANCE refresh automatically?
Go to File → Settings → Calculation and set Recalculation to 'On change and every minute.' That's the fastest native refresh — once a minute while the sheet is open. There's no 'every second' option.
Why doesn't GOOGLEFINANCE update even with recalculation on?
Two reasons: it only recalculates while the sheet tab is open (a closed sheet is frozen), and the underlying price is exchange-delayed ~15–20 minutes. So even a perfect every-minute refresh is refreshing a delayed number.
Can I refresh GOOGLEFINANCE faster than once a minute?
Not natively — one minute is the cap. People rig Apps Script timers to force recalcs, but you're still refreshing a 15–20 minute delayed price, so it doesn't get you real-time.
Nothing to refresh. It's just live.
Real-time stock and crypto prices in a spreadsheet — no recalculation setting, no scripts, no formulas. Free, no sign-up.