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Excel - Disable Smart Tags for TRUE & Other Stock Ticker Symbols in Excel - Episode 340

951 views · Published 18 November 2009 · 2:13 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial - Disable Smart Tags for TRUE & Other Stock Ticker Symbols in Excel.

Welcome back to the MrExcel podcast! In today's episode, we're going to tackle a really obscure problem that many Excel users may have encountered. Have you ever noticed that every time you type the word TRUE in a cell, a little Smart Tag pops up? Well, I have, and it turns out there's a simple explanation for it.

As it turns out, the word TRUE is actually a financial symbol for a company that went out of business a few years ago. This is why Excel 2002 and 2003 automatically recognize it as a stock ticker and display the Smart Tag. But what if you don't want this feature? What if you just want to type the word TRUE without any interruptions? Well, I have good news for you - there's a simple solution!

In this video, I'll show you how to turn off the Smart Tag for the word TRUE (or any other stock ticker symbol) in Excel 2003. All you have to do is click on the purple triangle that appears when you type the symbol, and then select "Stop Recognizing TRUE as financial symbol" from the information box that pops up. This will permanently disable the Smart Tag for that specific symbol, allowing you to type it without any interruptions.

But what if you're using an older version of Excel? Don't worry, I've got you covered. In Excel 2002, you can still turn off the Smart Tag for all financial symbols by going to Tools, AutoCorrect Options, and then selecting the Smart Tag tab. From there, you can uncheck the option to recognize financial symbols as Smart Tags. It may not be as convenient as the Excel 2003 method, but it will still get the job done.

So there you have it - a simple solution to a pesky problem. No more annoying Smart Tags popping up every time you type the word TRUE. I hope you found this tip helpful, and be sure to tune in next time for more useful Excel tips and tricks from MrExcel. Thanks for watching!

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction to the problem
(00:22) Explanation of the issue with TRUE and FALSE in Excel 2002 and 2003
(00:45) Demonstration of the Smart Tag for valid stock tickers
(01:01) How to permanently turn off the Smart Tag for TRUE and other stock tickers
(01:21) Alternative method for turning off Smart Tags in older versions of Excel
(01:39) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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Join the MrExcel Message Board discussion about this video at https://www.mrexcel.com/board/threads/1152754/

Why does every TRUE value in your worksheet get a little purple triangle? You can thank some out-of-business company with the stock ticker of TRUE for that one. In Episode 340, we'll take a look at how to selectively turn off SmartTags for one company.

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