How To Enable Show Formulas In Excel | Toggle Cell Contents

The fastest way to show formulas in Excel instead of their results is the Ctrl + ` keyboard shortcut or the Show Formulas button in the Formulas tab.

Excel is great at displaying results, but knowing how to enable show formulas in Excel turns a confusing spreadsheet into a transparent document. The fastest route is the Ctrl + ` keyboard shortcut, though the Ribbon button and Excel Options are just as reliable. Here’s every method to toggle, audit, and document formulas in any version of Excel.

Enable Show Formulas in Excel: The Fastest Methods

The most version-stable method is the Show Formulas button in the Formulas tab. This works identically across Excel 2010 through Microsoft 365.

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Click the Formulas tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Formula Auditing group, click Show Formulas. The button highlights, and every cell in the sheet instantly switches from its calculated value to its underlying formula.

To toggle the view off, click the button again. Microsoft’s official support page confirms this is the standard toggle for both Windows and Mac desktops.

The Keyboard Shortcut (Ctrl + `)

Press Ctrl + ` (grave accent key). This key sits above the Tab key, to the left of the 1 key. The sheet swaps between values and formulas instantly. Press it again to switch back. This shortcut works on Windows and Mac desktop apps. On Excel for the web, use the Ribbon button instead.

How To Enable Show Formulas in Excel Via Options

For a worksheet-specific setting that persists across saves and sessions, use the Excel Options menu.

1. Click File > Options.
2. Select the Advanced tab.
3. Scroll to the Display options for this worksheet section.
4. Select the target sheet from the drop-down menu if multiple sheets exist.
5. Check the box: Show formulas in cells instead of their calculated results.
6. Click OK.

The selected sheet will display formulas until you uncheck the box.

How To Display a Single Formula As Text

To pull a formula out of a specific cell and show it as a text string in another cell, use the FORMULATEXT function. This is useful for documentation or auditing a single formula without switching the entire sheet’s view.

In an empty cell, enter =FORMULATEXT(C1) to display the formula from cell C1. Press Enter and the formula text appears. The workbook containing the referenced formula must be open; otherwise Excel returns an #N/A error.

Why Are My Formulas Still Hidden After Toggling Show Formulas?

If you toggle the view and nothing changes, or the formula bar stays empty, a few common issues are usually the cause.

If printing, toggle the formula view on first via Ctrl + ` or the Ribbon, then adjust the Page Layout margins and scaling to prevent truncated text.

Toggling Show Formulas On and Off: The Complete Checklist

• For a full-sheet toggle: Use Ctrl + ` or click Formulas > Show Formulas. Both actions instantly switch the entire active sheet between values and formulas.
• For a permanent setting on one sheet: Go to File > Options > Advanced and enable the checkbox under Display options for this worksheet.
• For a single cell: Use the =FORMULATEXT() function to display a specific formula as text without changing the rest of the sheet.
• If it doesn’t work: Check that the sheet isn’t protected (Review > Unprotect Sheet), that the Formula Bar is visible (View > Formula Bar), and that you are pressing the correct key (grave accent `, not apostrophe ‘).