Formula result is not showing (formula visible in cell)

Are your formula results not showing?

Is the formula displayed in the cell instead of the result?

That leaves you unable to do anything constructive in Excel.

So, let’s fix it 🙂

Your problem should look similar to this.

Column C should normally return the results of the calculating – not the formula itself.

If you’re facing the same issue, read the possible causes (and how to fix them) below.

1: A special setting is enabled

There’s a setting that makes Excel display formulas only instead of their results.

This setting might have been enabled in your spreadsheet somehow.

To change it back, use this shortcut:

WINDOWS: CTRL + SHIFT + ´  <- this is the key just left of backspace

MAC: ^ + ´

2: The cells are formatted as text before the formula is written

If an empty cell is formatted as text, then when you type the formula and hit enter, it will never show the result. Excel won’t even understand that it’s a formula. The formula you entered will just stand there as if you entered a name or address.

To fix this, select the cell(s) that displays the formulas instead of the result.

Then change the formatting to General.

After you’ve done this, you won’t see any difference.

Now, double-click one of the formulas as if you were to edit it.

Then just hit Enter and you’ll see the result instead of the formula.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to do this for all the affected cells.