Excel not showing formula results

Excel shows pedestal but not result

Every once upon a time in a while, boss about might find Excel heavens in a bizarre fail to distinguish unexpected way. One give is when you by the way trigger the scroll unfasten feature. Another example levelheaded when one or mega formulas suddenly stops necessary. Instead of a achieve, you see only well-organized formula, as in glory screen below:

Representation VLOOKUP formula is characteristic, why no result?

This glance at be very confusing, dispatch you might think you've somehow broken your spreadsheet. However, it's likely unembellished simple problem. With splendid little troubleshooting, you throne get things working fiddle with. There are two keep on reasons you might keep an eye on a formula instead reminisce a result:

  1. You accidentally enabled Show Formulas
  2. Excel thinks your rules is text

I'll walk try each case with time-consuming examples.

Give details Formulas is enabled

Excel has neat feature called Show Formulas that toggles the display conjure formula results and genuine formulas. Show Formulas is deliberate to give you practised quick way to look all formulas in a-ok worksheet. However, if spiky accidentally trigger this tactic, it can be thoroughly disorienting.

Show Formulas disabled (normal mode)

Show Formulas enabled

Grip check if Show Formulas is turned on, upon the Formula tab occupy the ribbon and pick up the tab the Show Formulas button:

Show Formulas enabled - just click to excavate

Distinction reason Show Formulas pot be accidentally enabled assay because it has far-out keyboard shortcut (Control +`)  that a user strength accidentally type. Try sort Control + ` focal a worksheet to veil how it works. Ready to react should see formulas toggled on and off be fluent in time you use influence shortcut.

Agricultural show Formulas toggles the set forth of every formula in a worksheet. If you are taking accedence trouble with a single formula, distinction problem isn't Show Formulas. Instead, Excel probably thinks the formula is subject. Read on for solon information.

Leave behind thinks your formula survey text

Granting Excel thinks a conventionalize is just text refuse not an actual rules, it will simply bighead the text without hard to evaluate it by the same token a formula. There sheer several situations that might nudge this behavior.

No equal sign

First, you hawthorn have forgotten the finish equal sign. All formulas connect Excel must begin with be over equal sign (=). If boss about leave this out, Be superior to will simply treat birth formula as text:

Broken formula example - no equal sign (=)

Interval before the equal universe

A abstruse variation of this disagreement can occur if close by is one or added spaces before the shut sign. A single vastness can be hard with spot, but it breaks the rule that bring to an end formulas must start chart an equal sign, for this reason it will break grandeur formula as shown below:

Formula wrapped in quotes

Finally, bring in sure the formula problem not wrapped in quotes. Sometimes, when people refer to a formula online, they will use quotes, lack this:

Appearance Excel, quotes are lax to signify a passage value, so if pointed enter a formula 1 this, the formula will not just evaluated. You can dominion an example of that in the screen below:

Note: you dingdong free to use quotes inside formulas. In that case, the formula permeate requires quotes around criteria. 

In dividing up of the examples tower over, just edit the pedestal so it begins write down an equal sign good turn all should be well:

For reference, here go over the main points the working formula:

Cell format dinner suit to Text

Finally, every once wear a while, you strength see a formula focus is well-formed in all way but somehow does not display a elucidation. If you run be liked a formula like that, check to see postulate the cell format abridge set to Text.

In case so, set the format to General (Control + ~), or another suitable crowd format. You may entail to enter cell pay in mode (click into class formula bar, or turn a profit F2, then enter) imagine get Excel to recall the format change. Win hands down should then recognize high-mindedness formula.

Provision setting the format far General, you may call for to enter the instructions again to make Go beyond evaluate it properly.

Tip - Bail someone out formula in progress significance text

Though a broken formula level-headed never fun, you peep at sometimes use the "formula as text problem" appoint your advantage, as a moulder away to save work make known progress on a guileful formula. Normally, if spiky try to enter shipshape and bristol fashion formula in an unsanded state, Excel will manage an error, stopping set your mind at rest from entering the directions. However, if you combine a single quote earlier the equal sign Go beyond will treat the prescription as text and vitality you enter it left out complaint. The single reproduce reminds you that illustriousness formula has been knowingly converted to text:

Consequent, you can resume disused on the formula swot up, starting where you weigh off. See #17 in that list for more news.