Turn real-time streaming on or off
Use the correct MarketXLS control to start, stop, pause, or resume QuoteMedia updates.
Streaming controls affect formulas that listen for QuoteMedia ticks. They don't change ordinary MarketXLS formulas into real-time functions.
Control streaming on Windows
- Open the MarketXLS ribbon.
- Find the streaming button in the refresh group.
- If the button says Streaming is ON, select it to stop streaming. The label changes to Streaming is Off.
- Select Streaming is Off to start streaming again.
Capture a tight Windows ribbon crop with Streaming is ON.
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Capture the same Windows ribbon crop with Streaming is Off.
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When Windows starts streaming, the add-in reconnects the QuoteMedia stream, refreshes its real-time data channel, and refreshes the workbook. Use this control when you want to stop network updates temporarily or restart the stream after a connection check.
Control streaming on Mac or Excel for the web
You can use either of these controls:
- Select Toggle Streaming on the MarketXLS (Web) ribbon.
- Select the streaming status button in the MarketXLS task pane.
The task pane uses Streaming: On and Streaming: Paused. You can toggle streaming only after you sign in and the QuoteMedia session opens. If the button shows Streaming: Off, wait for the connection or check your subscription. If it remains off, select Why? to copy a diagnostic report.
Capture the task-pane streaming control in its On state.
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Capture the same task-pane control in its Paused state.
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Understand refresh and streaming
| Action | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh selected | Recalculates the selected cells. | Update a small group of snapshot functions. |
| Refresh all | Recalculates MarketXLS formulas throughout the workbook. | Update a workbook's on-demand requests. |
| Turn on or resume streaming | Allows streaming formulas to apply new QuoteMedia ticks. | Keep live cells updating automatically. |
| Turn off or pause streaming | Stops new ticks from changing streaming cells. | Hold current values or reduce live updates temporarily. |
In the Microsoft 365 add-in, refreshing doesn't disconnect active streaming subscriptions. If a live value doesn't change, first confirm that the formula belongs to a streaming family and that streaming is on.
Manage streaming-symbol usage
A workbook can contain many streaming cells. QuoteMedia counts the unique symbols or contracts subscribed by the account, not simply the number of visible worksheets.
| Workbook formulas | Streaming-symbol usage |
|---|---|
Last, bid, ask, and volume streaming formulas for MSFT | One unique symbol |
The same metrics for MSFT and AAPL | Two unique symbols |
| Streaming formulas for 50 different option contracts | Up to 50 unique contract symbols |
| Streaming formulas for several dated futures contracts | One unique symbol for each contract |
The allowance is reusable. It isn't a permanent list of tickers assigned to the account. When Excel cancels a streaming formula or you close the workbook, that symbol can be released and replaced by another symbol.
Keep these account-wide effects in mind:
- Several metrics for the same stock can share one underlying symbol subscription.
- Each distinct option or futures contract is a separate symbol and can use the allowance quickly.
- Open workbooks, extra Excel instances, or another computer can keep a session and its symbols active.
- A copied formula that points to a different ticker adds a new unique symbol; another formula for the same ticker doesn't necessarily add one.
- Limits depend on the QuoteMedia account and entitlement. Use the symbol-usage value shown by the add-in when available instead of assuming one universal number.
Don't use a numeric limit from an old email or another customer's account. MarketXLS support history includes different allowances for different accounts, and QuoteMedia can provision them differently.
If the add-in reports Symbols limit is exceeded, Rejected, or a connection-limit error:
- Close unused workbooks and other Excel instances.
- Remove streaming formulas for contracts that you no longer need.
- Use an on-demand function when continuous ticks aren't required.
- Reconnect the stream and test one common symbol.
Read Fix Please Refresh, Loading, and NA for the exact result-message lookup.
Replace streaming with on-demand values
An on-demand QuoteMedia formula doesn't consume the streaming-symbol allowance. It returns a snapshot when Excel requests it, and its speed still depends on the plan and exchange entitlement.
| Result | Windows streaming | Windows on demand | Mac or web streaming | Mac or web on demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last price | QM_Stream_Last | QM_Last | mxls.QM_Stream_Last | mxls.QM_Last |
| Bid | QM_Stream_Bid | QM_Bid | mxls.QM_Stream_Bid | mxls.QM_Bid |
| Ask | QM_Stream_Ask | QM_Ask | mxls.QM_Stream_Ask | mxls.QM_Ask |
Use an on-demand formula for a large watchlist that only needs periodic updates. Then use Refresh Selected for the visible range instead of maintaining a live subscription for every symbol. On-demand formulas don't have the QuoteMedia streaming-symbol allowance, but workbook size, request volume, and Excel calculation performance still matter.
For a large option chain, use a chain or list function to return the table, then stream only the contracts that you actively monitor. Read Use current and historical options data for the available chain functions.
Check whether a function streams
A QuoteMedia prefix identifies the provider, not the update behavior. For example:
QM_Stream_Laston Windows andmxls.QM_Stream_Laston Microsoft 365 stream.QM_Laston Windows andmxls.QM_Laston Microsoft 365 return an on-demand value.QM_Listreturns tabular data for a requested QuoteMedia method.
See Use QuoteMedia functions by platform for more examples.