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How to Use Excel Shortcut to Show Formulas (Step-by-Step Guide)

October 7, 2023 2.1K views

Do you ever have problems with Excel formulas? Maybe you're getting unexpected results, or you're not sure how a formula works. If so, you can use the Excel shortcut to show formulas to help you troubleshoot the problem.


Part 1: What is the shortcut to show formulas in Excel?


Before we go into the topic, there are a few things we have to know. First, why do people want to show formulas in Excel and how to show all the formulas in Excel?  


In Excel, people often use formulas to perform tasks or to make data update automatically. To view the formula, some people will double-click the cell. However, this only allows you to view the formula for one cell at a time, which can be time-consuming and make the task more complex.  

formulas show up after double click the cell


There are a few more reasons why you might want to show all formulas in Excel:


  • To troubleshoot errors: If you're getting unexpected results from a formula, you can show the formula to see if there is an error in the formula.

  • To understand how a formula works: If you're not sure how a formula works, you can show the formula to see how the formulas are being calculated.

  • To share formulas with others: If you want to share a formula with someone else, you can show the formula so that they can see how it works.

Part 2: How to use the Excel shortcut to show formulas

Now you already know the use of showing all the formulas. It is time to know and learn the ways to show all the formulas in Excel . There are several ways to show all the formulas in excel. These are the easiest ways to show all the formulas.  


  • Use the Excel shortcut to show formulas:


  • Open the Excel spreadsheet that contains the formulas you want to show

Cell with formulas


  • Press Ctrl+` (backtick) on your keyboard

Keyboard layout arrow pointing to CTRL button and backtick button


  • All the formulas in the cells will now be displayed

All the formulas be display


Additional Tips: To hide the formulas again, press Ctrl+` (backtick) again.


  • Use the Excel Formulas tab:


  • Open the Excel spreadsheet that contains the formulas you want to show

Cell with formulas


  • Select the formulas tab in the ribbon of Excel

Formulas tab in the ribbon


  • Select “Show Formulas” option in the workbook formulas group

Show formulas option in workbook formulas group


  • The formulas in the selected cells will now be displayed


All the formulas be display


Additional Tips: To hide the formulas again, press the “Show Formulas” option again.


After trying all the ways mentioned above, but still unable to show all the formulas in the excel. Maybe your spreadsheet is in protected status. Excel has the feature for people to use on protecting the sheet or the whole workbook. This is to avoid accidentally pressing the wrong button and causing the previous work to be wasted. This may also cause you not to be able to show the formulas.

User unable to modify the protected sheet


Here is the step to close the protect sheet or protect workbook feature:

Step 1: Click on the review tab on the ribbon in Excel

Review tab on the ribbon


Step 2: Find and click on the protect sheet and protect workbook option

Step 3: Insert the password if Excel is required.

Password window pop up

Step 4: The protected sheet or workbook will be disable

The protect sheet or protect workbook will be disable

Additional Information:

In the step 3 of disabling the protect sheet, there is a chance that the password window did not pop out. In this situation, it means that the user who activates the protect sheet did not set up a password for it. You may directly proceed to the next step.

In my opinion, using Excel shortcuts to show all the formulas in Excel is the easiest way to do it. You only need to press one or two buttons on your keyboard to show the formulas in Excel. Of course, if you don't remember the shortcut key for performing the action, you can still use the Excel Formulas tab, which is also another good and effective way to show all the formulas in Excel.


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Installer file

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FAQs

 

Q: How do I show formulas in Excel instead of value?

 

  • In your Excel worksheet, go to the Formulas tab > Formula Auditing group and click the Show Formulas button. Microsoft Excel displays formulas in cells instead of their results right away. To get the calculated values back, click the Show Formulas button again to toggle it off.

 

Q: What are the Ctrl shortcuts in Excel?

  • 50 Excel Shortcuts Key That You Should Know in 2023

  • Ctrl+C - Copy.

  • Ctrl+V - Paste.

  • Ctrl+Z - Undo.

  • Ctrl+Y - Redo.

  • F2 - Edit cell.

  • Ctrl+A - Select all.

  • Home - Move to the beginning of the worksheet.

  • End - Move to the end of the worksheet.

https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/excel-tutorial/excel-shortcuts

Q: How to unprotect the sheet if I forget the password?

  • Unprotect Excel Sheet with VBA If Forgot Password

  • Use Zip Option to Unprotect Excel Sheet

  • Unprotect Excel Sheet Using Google Sheet

https://www.exceldemy.com/unprotect-excel-sheet-forgot-password/

Q: What are the system requirements for WPS Office?

  • The system requirements for WPS Office are very low. You can run WPS Office on a computer with Windows XP or later, or macOS 10.10 or later. You also need at least 100MB of free disk space and 512MB of RAM.

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Q: Is WPS Office safe to use?

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Q: How do I get help with WPS Office?

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Summary

In this article, we have shown you the ways on how to use the Excel shortcut to show formulas and why people want to show the formulas in excel. You have also learned about WPS Office, a free and open-source office suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and PDF reader. WPS Office has all the features you need to create and manage complex spreadsheets. It is compatible with Microsoft files, has a user-friendly interface, and is regularly updated with new features and bug fixes

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I hope this article has been helpful to you.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.