RTD
Retrieves real-time data from a program that supports COM automation (Real-Time Data server). Used mainly with market data feeds, IoT sensors, or other live data sources.
RTD(progID, server, topic1, [topic2], ...)Arguments
progIDThe ProgID of an installed RTD server (registered COM component).serverThe name of the server running the RTD server. Empty string for the local machine.topic1The first topic string identifying the data to retrieve.topic2Additional topic strings (up to 28 total).(optional)
=RTD("my.rtdServer","","AAPL","PRICE")Retrieves the current price of AAPL from a local RTD server
=RTD("bloomberg.rtd","","EUR/USD","BID")Live FX bid quote from a Bloomberg RTD server
=RTD("sensor.rtd","factory01","TEMP")Live temperature reading from a remote sensor server
- •Requires an RTD server (COM add-in) to be installed and registered on the machine
- •Windows-only — RTD is not available in Excel for Mac or Excel Online
- •Excel updates RTD values automatically based on the throttle interval (default 2 seconds)
- •Mostly used in finance (live market data), industrial monitoring, and trading desks
- •Trying to use RTD without an RTD server (COM add-in) actually installed and registered on the machine, which causes the formula to fail since RTD has nothing to connect to
- •Assuming RTD works cross-platform - it's Windows-only and unavailable in Excel for Mac or Excel Online, so a workbook built with RTD formulas breaks for anyone on those platforms
- •Not accounting for RTD's throttled update interval when building time-sensitive formulas - values refresh periodically (2 seconds by default), not instantaneously with every market tick or sensor reading
WEBSERVICEFetches data from a web URL on demand rather than RTD's continuous, push-based updates from a COM server.FILTERXMLOften paired with WEBSERVICE as an alternative to RTD when the live data source is a web API rather than a COM automation server.INDIRECTSometimes combined with RTD to build dynamic topic strings from other cell values rather than hardcoding them into the formula.Why doesn't my RTD formula return any data?
You likely don't have the required RTD server (a COM add-in) installed and registered on your machine - RTD has no built-in data source of its own, it only connects to an external provider you've set up separately.
Does RTD work in Excel for Mac?
No, RTD is Windows-only and isn't available in Excel for Mac or Excel Online, since it depends on the Windows-specific COM automation technology.
How often does RTD refresh its values?
By default, Excel throttles RTD updates to roughly every 2 seconds, even if the underlying data source updates more frequently - this can usually be adjusted via the RTD server's own settings.
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