To quickly show all formulas in your Excel spreadsheet hold down the CONTROL key on the keyboard and press the grave accent key ( ` ).
This key is located next to the #1 key on the top left corner of the keyboard and looks like a backwards apostrophe.
Show formulas does not change the spreadsheet, only the way it is displayed.
Show formulas has several uses:
- Makes it easy to find cells containing formulas
- It allows you to quickly read through all formulas to check for errors
- When you click on a formula, Excel outlines in color the cells referenced in the formula. This helps you to trace the data being used in a formula.
- Print spreadsheets with show formulas turned on. Doing so, will allow you to search a spreadsheet for hard to find errors.
