In this article, we will be discussing why Excel may not be showing results to your formula and how you could work your way around it. Keep reading to get back to using your formula in your spreadsheets!
Why is Excel Formula Not Working?
How to Fix Excel Formula Not Showing Result?
You could fix the issue with Excel not displaying results in a few ways depending on the nature of the issue you’re dealing with. Regarding each of the issues discussed in the section above, we have presented viable solutions for each of the issues in this section. Below, we’ve included a list of causes that could be responsible for why your formula may not be working in Excel. Take a look at the list for a brief overview of the issue:
Show Formula EnabledMisspelled FunctionIncorrect Formula FormatSyntax Error
Turn off Show Formula
When you enable the Show Formula option in MS Excel, when you hit enter after typing in your formula, instead of showing the results, Excel will display the entered formula. To view the results again, you need to manually disable this feature from the Formula tab. It is quite possible that you have this option enabled if you see the formula instead of the results. You can disable this option by following the steps mentioned below:
Use Insert Function Tool
When you misspell the functions used in a formula, Excel mainly displays the #NAME? Error instead of the results. This is because Excel will not understand the function you’ve requested and cannot provide you with your desired results. If you’re new to using functions in MS Excel, you can use the Insert Function tool. Using the wizard, you can sort the formulas by category and even look formulas up on the search bar. This will reduce your chances of creating a typo while entering the function. Follow these steps to use the tool in Excel:
Change Cell Format
If the cell you’ve entered in your formula is in the Text format, any formula you enter will not work. This is because Excel does not manipulate data that is formatted as text. Your formula will not return a result. Instead, it will display just the formula. You can easily change the cell format from the Home tab of your worksheet. Follow these steps to change the cell format in Excel:
Check Syntax
Even after you’ve entered everything correctly, you will not get your desired results if you’ve used incorrect syntax. The most common syntax error that may be the reason behind the Excel formula not showing results is not adding the equals sign (=) at the beginning of the formula. To declare that the content you’ve entered is a formula, you must add the equals sign before you start typing the formula. Similarly, each formula has its own syntax that mostly consists of the equals, comma, double quotes, and parentheses signs. While entering each formula, you need to pay special attention to these syntaxes for Excel to return a correct value.
