This user's workaround is clever, but it shouldn't be necessary. If you have to insert a dummy sheet named *EndPage* just to make a formula span all possible sheets in a workbook, the tool has failed you. The problem is clear: you need a formula that says "look at every sheet in this workbook, no matter how many there are or what they're called," and the current generation of spreadsheet software simply doesn't offer that. That gap forces users to invent manual patches that break the moment you forget to add the placeholder or when the sheet count changes unexpectedly.
What this user is describing is a monthly ritual of fragility. Download the report, rename it *TemporaryDownload*, add a sheet, save over the old file, then hope the reference holds. It works, but it's a brittle process that introduces a point of failure every single time. The real insight here isn't about the specific XLOOKUP or VSTACK combination, it's about the underlying assumption that a spreadsheet should make you manage its own structure. You shouldn't have to trick the software into looking at all your data. The software should be smart enough to understand that when you reference a workbook, you mean *everything* inside it.
This is where AI-native thinking changes the conversation. Instead of asking the user to adapt to the tool's limitations, a modern approach would let the tool adapt to the user's intent. Imagine a formula that simply says "scan all sheets in this workbook for matching criteria" without needing a manual index of sheet names. Or a workbook that automatically updates its reference range when a sheet is added or removed. That's not some distant future, it's a straightforward application of dynamic data handling that traditional spreadsheets have resisted for years.
The lesson here is practical: if your workflow requires a workaround that feels like a hack, it's a sign that the tool is holding you back. You shouldn't have to choose between accuracy and convenience. The solution isn't a better workaround; it's a tool that treats your data as a living collection, not a set of rigid tabs you have to wrangle into submission. Demand more from your spreadsheet. The technology exists to make this seamless, and it's time the tools caught up to what users have been doing manually for far too long.