How to Reveal Every Formula in the Active Excel Sheet
Press Ctrl+` or choose Formulas > Show Formulas to reveal every expression on the active sheet; toggle it again to restore results.
In desktop Excel, press Ctrl+` to display formulas instead of calculated results throughout the active worksheet. The ` symbol is the grave accent key, usually near the 1 key. Press the shortcut again to restore the results. You can also choose Formulas > Show Formulas on the ribbon. Microsoft documents both methods as reversible worksheet-wide controls.
Related: 7 Best Free CSV Viewers in 2026 (Online & Desktop).
Quick answer: show every formula in the worksheet
Use either method in desktop Excel:
- Keyboard: Press Ctrl+`.
- Ribbon: Select Formulas > Show Formulas in the Formula Auditing group.
Formula cells will display expressions such as =B2*C2 instead of results such as 49.50. The setting applies throughout the active worksheet, not only to the selected cell.
When you finish reviewing the sheet, repeat the shortcut or select Show Formulas again. Excel will return to displaying calculated results. This is a display toggle: it does not replace, delete, or rewrite the underlying formulas.
Three ways to turn on formula view
Choose the method that best suits your workflow:
| Method | Steps | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcut | Press Ctrl+` | The fastest temporary toggle |
| Ribbon command | Select Formulas > Show Formulas | A visible, easy-to-find command |
| Excel Options | Select File > Options > Advanced, then enable Show formulas in cells instead of their calculated results under Display options for this worksheet | Controlling the display for a specific worksheet |
The shortcut and ribbon command are the most convenient choices for routine checks. If the shortcut is awkward on your keyboard, use the ribbon command rather than assuming another shortcut will behave identically.
For the Options method, make sure the correct sheet is selected under Display options for this worksheet. The control is worksheet-specific, so it does not automatically switch every worksheet in the workbook to formula view. All three methods change what appears in cells without altering the formulas themselves.
Choose between revealing, locating, and labeling formulas
Excel offers several formula-related commands, but they serve different purposes:
- Reveal every formula in place: Use Show Formulas.
- Locate formula cells without displaying their expressions: Select Home > Find & Select > Formulas.
- Display one formula as text beside its result: Use
FORMULATEXT.
Consider this synthetic worksheet:
| A: Quantity | B: Unit price | C: Item | D: Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12.00 | Example A | =A2*B2 |
| 5 | 9.50 | Example B | =A3*B3 |
| 2 | 18.00 | Example C | =A4*B4 |
In normal view, column D displays the calculated totals. With Show Formulas enabled, it displays =A2*B2, =A3*B3, and =A4*B4. You can compare neighboring formulas and check whether each row references its own quantity and unit price.
Columns may temporarily widen to accommodate the displayed expressions. Selecting a formula cell may also place colored outlines around the cells referenced by that formula. These cues can help reveal inconsistent references, but a visual review does not guarantee that every calculation error will be found.
If you want to keep the calculated result in D3 while displaying its formula elsewhere, enter:
=FORMULATEXT(D3)
FORMULATEXT returns the formula from D3 as a text string without changing the worksheet-wide display. It can return #N/A if D3 does not contain a formula, worksheet protection prevents the formula from being displayed, or the formula references another workbook that is closed.
By contrast, Home > Find & Select > Formulas only selects cells containing formulas. It helps identify where formulas are located but does not reveal their expressions inside the worksheet cells.
Excel for the web and printing limitations
Excel normally displays a formula’s result in its cell and shows the underlying formula in the formula bar when you select that cell.
Excel for the web does not provide the same documented worksheet-wide, in-cell formula view as desktop Excel. Browser users who need that view should choose Open in Desktop App and then use the shortcut or ribbon command.
Desktop Excel can also print a worksheet with formulas visible. Enable Show Formulas, review the layout because formulas may require wider columns, and print the worksheet normally. Use the ribbon method if the documented shortcut is unavailable or inconvenient on your keyboard.
Check formula view before exporting or publishing data
Showing formulas does not ordinarily change the workbook’s calculations, but exporting to another format can change what the resulting file contains. Displayed formulas can be converted to text in CSV and formatted-text exports. DIF handling is different: formulas are saved when they are displayed before saving; otherwise, the formula results are saved. Microsoft documents these format-specific conversion behaviors.
Before exporting, decide whether the destination should contain:
- Calculated values for readers who need finished data.
- Formula text for documentation or a calculation example.
- An Excel workbook when live workbook behavior must be retained.
This check is especially important when preparing a public dataset. TablePage turns spreadsheets and structured datasets into public interactive data pages, so inspect the exported table before publishing rather than assuming it contains the intended representation. Use only synthetic or already-public information in examples, and never upload confidential or sensitive worksheet data to a public service.
After reviewing the active worksheet, turn off Show Formulas to restore calculated results, then confirm that the exported or published table contains the intended values or formula text.