form
Excel formula generator
Describe the calculation in plain English and get the formula, explained part by part.
Your inputs
markdown outWhat you get
Run lands herePublish
Share page, result, or card
Describe what you want to calculate in plain English, choose Excel 365, an older Excel version or Google Sheets, and this Excel formula generator writes the formula and explains each part. You also get a small worked example, one alternative approach, and the errors you are most likely to see with fixes. Add your column letters or ranges for a formula you can paste straight in.
How to describe your calculation
The more exact the description, the more exact the formula. Say what is in each column, where the data starts, and what result you want. 'Add up column C where column A is West' is enough for a SUMIFS. For lookups, say which value you are searching for, which column it is found in, and which column should be returned. If you leave the ranges out, the AI Excel formula uses example ranges such as A2:A100 and tells you to change them to match your sheet.
Why the Excel version matters
Newer functions are not available everywhere. XLOOKUP, FILTER, UNIQUE and LET need Excel 365 or Excel 2021 and show a #NAME? error in Excel 2019 and earlier. In older versions the same jobs are done with INDEX and MATCH, VLOOKUP, SUMIFS and COUNTIFS. VLOOKUP can only return values from columns to the right of the lookup column, while INDEX and MATCH can look in any direction, which is why it is the usual alternative. Pick your version in the dropdown and the formula stays within what your copy supports.
Google Sheets formula generator
Choose Google Sheets and the tool writes in Sheets syntax. Most everyday functions such as SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, IF, INDEX and MATCH work the same way in both apps, but some are specific to one. ARRAYFORMULA and QUERY exist only in Google Sheets, for example. In both apps, some regional settings use a semicolon instead of a comma between arguments, so swap the separator if a pasted formula is rejected.
Reading common formula errors
#N/A means a lookup did not find the value - check for extra spaces or numbers stored as text. #VALUE! means an argument is the wrong type, such as text where a number is expected. #REF! means the formula points at a cell or column that was deleted or is out of range. #DIV/0! means division by zero or by an empty cell. The Excel formula helper lists the errors that apply to your formula and how to fix them. Always test a new formula on a few rows you can check by hand.
Questions
Can I upload my spreadsheet?
No. The tool works from your written description. Tell it which columns hold which data and it will write the formula for that layout.
What is the difference between XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP?
XLOOKUP takes a separate lookup range and return range, can look left or right, and matches exactly by default. VLOOKUP searches the first column of a table and returns a column to its right by number. XLOOKUP needs Excel 365 or Excel 2021.
Will the formula always be right?
It is a draft from an AI model, so test it. Try it on a few rows where you know the answer, and check that the ranges match your data before relying on it.
What if my task needs more than one formula?
The tool says so and describes the helper column to add, with its own formula, instead of forcing everything into one long formula.
Is the Excel formula generator free?
Yes, it is free to use for Excel and Google Sheets formulas.