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# Avoiding the "Invalid in Immediate Pane" Error
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/fix-invalid-in-immediate-pane-error/
- Published: 2022-12-31T02:38:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T12:52:36.000Z
- Description: Sometimes, using the colon character to combine statements in the immediate window results in an "Invalid in immediate pane" error. Here's why and how to fix it.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: VBA, Debugging, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

Today I was trying to execute two long-running routines one after the other by calling them on the same line using the colon (`:`) [end-of-statement token](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/microsoft%5Fgeneral%5Fpurpose%5Fprogramming%5Flanguages/ms-vbal/7ef9ae86-dfdb-47f1-b53b-ef0c2ea9f8ed) in the immediate window. 

To my chagrin, my initial attempts failed with the following error message:

> **Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications**  
> Compile error:  
> Invalid in Immediate pane

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-57.png)

## Fix: Use the Optional `Call` Keyword

To avoid this error, you can use the optional [**Call** keyword](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/language/reference/user-interface-help/call-statement) before calling the first routine:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-58.png)

## Explanation

If you look closely at the original error message, you will note that this is a **compile** error. 

In other words, VBA does not like something about our *syntax*. What could that be, though? And why does using the Call keyword avoid the error?

The reason is obvious if we try to do the same thing inside of a normal routine:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-59.png)

Notice that the cursor is still editing the `Foo: Bar` line. Watch what happens when I press \[Enter\]:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-60.png)

Hey, `Foo:` just got automatically repositioned to the far left of the line. You know what that looks like? A label. Because it *is* a label. It's an ambiguity in the VBA syntax. When faced with the ambiguity, VBA comes down on the side of treating it as a line label rather than a procedure identifier as we intend. 

By using the optional `Call` keyword, we make our intent explicit to the VBA compiler:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-61.png)

## Alternate Workarounds

Now that we understand *why* we were getting the compile error, we can make sense of why this is a problem in some cases but not in others. 

### Pass an Argument

For example, if we pass an argument to our subroutine then VBA can no longer mistake it as a line label and everything works fine:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-62.png)

### Debug.Print a Function Result

Here we've changed **Foo** from a Sub to a Function and we're using the Debug.Print shorthand to display the result of the function call:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/12/image-63.png)

### Anything that Makes the Code an Invalid Label

Basically, we just need *something* to come before the colon that is *not* a valid label name. Whether that means passing an argument, including a Debug.Print call, or explicitly using the `Call` keyword, we simply need to reassure VBA that we are not trying to use a line label in the Immediate Window.

### External references

[\[MS-VBAL\]: Separator and Special TokensWS = 1\*(WSC / line-continuation) special-token = , / . / ! / # / & / ( / ) / \* / + / - / / / : / ; / < / =Microsoft Learnopenspecs-office![](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/media/logos/logo-ms-social.png)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/microsoft%5Fgeneral%5Fpurpose%5Fprogramming%5Flanguages/ms-vbal/7ef9ae86-dfdb-47f1-b53b-ef0c2ea9f8ed)

[Call statement (VBA)Office VBA reference topicMicrosoft Learno365devx![](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/media/logos/logo-ms-social.png)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/language/reference/user-interface-help/call-statement)

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