The Formula Bar
The long white box above the grid. It shows what is really inside the selected cell, not just what is displayed.
The Truth About a Cell
A cell shows you a result. The formula bar shows you the cause. When a number looks wrong, the formula bar tells you why.
- Select a cell — Click anywhere in the grid
- Look up — The formula bar shows its content
- Compare — Cell shows result, bar shows cause
How to do it
The white box above the column headings, to the right of the Name Box
Click into the formula bar to edit a cell without overwriting it. F2 does the same from the keyboard.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name Box | Left end, shows the address |
| fx button | Opens Insert Function |
| The white box | The cell's real content |
| Tick and cross | Confirm or cancel an edit |
Cell vs Formula Bar
Cell shows the result. Formula bar shows what produced it.
| Cell shows | Formula bar shows | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1,250 | =1000+250 | A calculation |
| 1,250 | 1250 | A typed number |
| 1,250.00 | 1250.4 | Rounded display only |
| 12-Aug-26 | 45881 | A date is a number |
| #N/A | =VLOOKUP(...) | A formula that failed |
Result: Look up
When a number looks wrong, look at the formula bar before you change anything.
Do this
- Check the formula bar before editing a cell
- Use F2 to edit rather than retyping
- Expand the bar when a formula is long
Avoid
- Trusting the cell display over the formula bar
- Retyping a cell and destroying its formula
- Not noticing a cell is a formula, not a value
📌 If the cell shows a number but the formula bar shows a formula, the number is a calculated result.
Practice
- Type =100/3 and compare cell and formula bar.
- Press F2 on a cell to edit it in place.
- Find a cell where display and stored value differ.
Quick quiz: A cell displays 1,250.00 but the formula bar shows 1250.4. Which value does Excel actually use in calculations?
- 1,250.00, what I can see
- 1250.4, what the formula bar shows
- It rounds when calculating
Show answer
The formula bar always shows the stored value. — Number formats change the display only. Excel calculates with the full stored value.
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