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Getting started

Set up ABN Formula on a computer

Install the add-on, open the sidebar once, then type your first ABN formulas. It takes about five minutes on any computer with a web browser.

Before you start

• A Google account, and Google Sheets open in a web browser on a Windows, Mac, ChromeOS or Linux computer.
• A spreadsheet with ABNs in a column. If you don't have one, use the free Supplier ABN Checker template.
• If you use a work Google account, your administrator may need to allow add-ons from the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Step 1: Install the add-on

Google Workspace Marketplace listing: Coming soon
ABN Formula isn't listed on the Marketplace yet. This page will link to the listing when it goes live. Until then, the steps below show what installing will look like.

1. Open any spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
2. Choose Extensions › Add-ons › Get add-ons.
3. Search for ABN Formula and open the listing.
4. Click Install, choose the Google account you want to use, review the permissions and click Allow.

Step 2: Open the sidebar once

In your spreadsheet, choose Extensions › ABN Formula › Open sidebar. The ABN Formula menu also has Check selected cells and About and disclaimer.

The first time you open the sidebar, Google may ask you to authorise the add-on. The sidebar then signs you in with your Google account and shows your plan and email address, for example "Free · you@example.com", along with how many lookups you have used this month. Opening the sidebar once is what lets your formulas run as you. Until you do, lookup formulas return "Open ABN Formula → Open sidebar once to authorise lookups."

If the sidebar says "Not signed in yet", read the message under it and see the troubleshooting section below.

What the permissions are for

Google shows its own wording on the consent screen, so the exact text may differ from this list. ABN Formula asks for these, and nothing else:

• The spreadsheet you are using it in, and only that one. This lets Check selected cells read the ABNs you selected and write the results beside them.
• Connect to an external service. The add-on sends ABNs to api.abnformula.com, which looks them up in the ABN Lookup web services. That is the only outside address it is allowed to contact.
• Show the sidebar and dialogs inside Google Sheets.
• Store add-on data. The add-on saves a sign-in token, so formulas don't need to sign you in every time.
• Your email address and basic sign-in (OpenID). These link your plan and monthly allowance to you. ABN Formula doesn't read your Gmail, Drive or other files.

Step 3: Type your first formulas

Put your ABNs in column A, starting at A2. Format the column as plain text first (Format › Number › Plain text) so Google Sheets doesn't change long numbers. Spaces in the ABN are fine. Then type these in row 2:

• =ABN_NAME(A2) returns the registered entity name.
• =ABN_STATUS(A2) returns the ABN status, such as Active or Cancelled.
• =ABN_GST(A2) returns "Yes (from YYYY-MM-DD)" or "No".
• =ABN_CHECK(A2) fills seven cells across the row: Status, Legal name, GST, GST since, State, Postcode and Checked at. Leave those cells empty.
• =ABN_VALID(A2) checks the checksum only, without a lookup.

To fill down, select the cell, then drag the small square at its bottom-right corner down the column. You can also give a whole range to one formula, for example =ABN_STATUS(A2:A200). That is faster for long lists, because Google Sheets makes one call instead of one per row.

A cell shows "Loading..." while Google Sheets runs the formula. Register results can be up to 24 hours old. To make Google Sheets run a formula again, add a second argument and change it when you want a recalculation, for example =ABN_STATUS(A2, "13/11").

Prefer values to formulas? Select the ABN column (the header row is fine) and choose Extensions › ABN Formula › Check selected cells. ABN Formula writes the same seven columns next to your selection as plain values.

Step 4: Your plan and upgrading

The free plan covers 50 different ABNs each calendar month, using Sydney time. Checking the same ABN again that month doesn't count, and neither does a number that fails the checksum. The sidebar shows how many you have used.

To upgrade, open the sidebar and choose Pro monthly · A$9 or Pro yearly · A$79. Pro covers 10,000 different ABNs a month. A dialog gives you a link to Stripe's checkout. When Stripe confirms the payment, usually within a minute, reopen the sidebar and the plan shows Pro. Manage billing or cancel in the sidebar opens Stripe's billing page, where you can cancel, switch between monthly and yearly, change your card or download invoices. Cancelling has no fee and Pro stays on until the end of the period you paid for. You can also cancel or manage your subscription from any device. See pricing for the details.

Step 5: Use the free template

The Supplier ABN Checker template already has these formulas set up next to a free checksum column. Import it into Google Sheets (File › Import › Upload), and its Business name, ABN status and GST registered columns start working once the add-on is installed.

Troubleshooting

• #NAME? means Google Sheets doesn't recognise the function in this spreadsheet. Check that the add-on is installed for the Google account you are using. Then open Extensions › ABN Formula › Open sidebar in this spreadsheet. If ABN Formula isn't in the Extensions menu, choose Extensions › Add-ons › Manage add-ons, find ABN Formula and choose Use in this document. In Excel these formulas always show #NAME?, because the add-on is only for Google Sheets.
• "Install ABN Formula" is the text the free template shows when the add-on isn't available in that spreadsheet. Install it, or turn it on for that document as described above.
• "Loading..." that never finishes. Google Sheets stops a custom function after 30 seconds. Use a range formula such as =ABN_NAME(A2:A200) instead of hundreds of single-cell formulas, then reload the page.
• "Too many register lookups at once." Wait a few seconds and edit the cell again, or use a range formula.
• "Monthly lookup limit reached." You have used this month's allowance. Upgrade in the sidebar, or wait for the next calendar month. ABNs you have already checked this month can still be checked again without counting.
• Several Google accounts signed in. Google add-ons can fail to load, or the sidebar can show an authorisation error, when you're signed in to more than one Google account in the same browser. Use a browser profile or a private window signed in to just the account that installed ABN Formula.
• "Not signed in yet" in the sidebar. Close the sidebar, reload the spreadsheet and open it again. If it keeps happening, email support with the message the sidebar shows.

Related guides

• Using ABN Formula on your phone or tablet
• How to validate ABNs in Google Sheets
• Bulk ABN lookup in a spreadsheet
• Check GST registration for a list of suppliers
• Check ABNs are active before paying invoices

ABN Formula is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of the Australian Government, the Australian Taxation Office or the Australian Business Register. ABN status, entity names and GST registration come from the ABR through the free ABN Lookup web services. This guide is general information, not tax advice.