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Formula Explorer brings Formula Breakdowns, Precedent & Dependent Tracing, Goal Seek, and Formatting Utilities to Google Sheets. Designed for financial analysts, accountants, modelers, and power users, Formula Explorer by CogniSheets brings step-by-step formula debugging, precedent and dependent tracing, goal seek functionality and keyboard-driven formatting to your spreadsheets. Effortlessly analyse complex formulas, navigate every input cell, and apply formatting quickly using customisable keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts are fully supported on Windows, Mac and Linux: • For shortcuts starting with ALT, press and release each key in the order listed • For shortcuts starting with CTRL, press and hold each key as you go - do not release any until all keys have been pressed. ALT is replaced with Option on a Mac. CTRL on a PC maps to Control on a Mac. Experience powerful Excel-style workflows tailored specifically for Google Sheets: ➤ Calculation Steps - Break Down Any Formula With Full Transparency Shortcut: Ctrl + Q • See step-by-step how any formula is calculated, including intermediate values. • Logical functions like IF, IFS, and CHOOSE highlight active branches so you know exactly what path is taken. • Lookup and reference functions like VLOOKUP, OFFSET, INDEX, and INDIRECT display their resolved target locations. • Support for the LET function - view variable assignments and evaluate reusable logic clearly and sequentially. • Support for LAMBDA functions - parameters are recognised as variables with bound values: ◦ MAP, BYROW, BYCOL, REDUCE, SCAN, MAKEARRAY resolve parameter bindings from the input range, including named ranges. ◦ Direct invocation like LAMBDA(x, x*2)(5) is also supported. • Use the Left and Right arrow keys to expand or collapse nested function layers. • Use the Up and Down arrow keys to jump to referenced cells. • Click directly inside the formula to get insights into specific sub-expressions. • Seamlessly integrated with Google Sheets' design - no jarring overlays or context switches. • Familiar keyboard-driven experience for Excel users - no mouse needed. The most advanced tool for Google Sheets that offers full, step-by-step breakdowns of formula logic directly inside your spreadsheet. Formula Explorer also helps you debug complex formulas by making it easy to spot logic errors, incorrect references, or unexpected behaviour - all without manual inspection. ➤ Trace Dependents - See All Cells That Reference Your Selection Shortcut: Alt + Q Identify which formulas depend on your data, including multi-cell selections - a unique capability not available natively in Google Sheets. This makes it ideal for impact analysis, auditing, and safely modifying complex models. • Select any single cell or group of cells and press Alt + Q to view all direct formula-based dependents. • Supports comprehensive range detection, including individual cells, cell ranges, column slices and column ranges, row slices and row ranges. • Results are intelligently grouped by sheet name, keeping large workbooks easy to navigate. • Contiguous dependent cells are automatically consolidated into logical blocks - matrices, rows, columns, or individual cells. • Named ranges are fully resolved, so dependencies are traced to their actual underlying cell references. • Navigate results using mouse or keyboard. • Use Left / Right arrow keys to drill into or move back up the dependency hierarchy, and Up / Down arrow keys to move between sheets and dependent ranges. • Perfect for financial modelling and scenario analysis - quickly verify which calculations will be affected by changes to key inputs. Built for handling large and complex spreadsheets: • Designed for efficient analysis of very large sheets and multi-tab workbooks. • Analysis runs in parallel, leveraging Google APIs and cloud infrastructure to avoid timeouts. • An efficient planning algorithm allows multiple sheets to be analysed concurrently. • Errors are handled gracefully so partial results remain usable. • Analysis runs across all sheets by default and can be restarted at any time with a manual selection of specific sheets - ideal for large, multi-tab workbooks. Only direct formula-based dependents are identified. Dependencies created through INDIRECT, OFFSET, or other functions are not detected. ➤ Trace Precedents - See All Formula Inputs In One Place Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Q • View all cells referenced by your formula in a single, organised window. • Drill into referenced ranges to inspect their underlying formulas and dependencies without losing context. • Navigate seamlessly between parent formulas and child ranges to understand how calculations flow through your model. • Explore deeper layers by expanding precedents of precedents using the Right and Left arrow keys. • Navigate quickly between precedent cells and ranges using the Up and Down arrow keys. • Click directly inside the formula to jump instantly to a specific referenced range. • Optimised for keyboard-first analysis, enabling fast navigation and deep inspection without relying on the mouse. • Engineered for speed and responsiveness, even on very large sheets and complex multi-tab workbooks. • Edit your spreadsheet freely - no need to close the Trace Precedents window. • Close the window instantly with the Esc key. ➤ Utilities Tool - Apply, Cycle, Enable Data Filtering, Customise Formatting, Copy Sum, Goal Seek, Paste Special, Adjust and Insert Columns/Rows, Merge/Unmerge Cells, Freeze/Unfreeze Panes, Align Cells, Apply Borders, Text Control, Text To Columns, Group/Ungroup and Toggle Grid Lines Enhance your formatting workflow with the Utilities tool - a flexible solution to apply and cycle through your most-used formatting styles efficiently using custom keyboard shortcuts. • Choose from utilities like Goal Seek, Data Filter, Column Adjust, Row Adjust, Column Insert, Row Insert, Merge / Unmerge, Freeze / Unfreeze, Align, Border, Text Control, Text To Columns, Group, Copy Sum, Decimal Places, Fill Color, Font Color, Number Format, Paste Special and Toggle Grid Lines. • Add multiple utilities of the same type with different settings (e.g. blue font vs. green font). • Assign keyboard shortcuts to individual utilities - or group several under the same shortcut to cycle through them. • Use custom Name Suffixes to label utilities and keep them organised. • Perfect for analysts who use consistent formatting to indicate formulas, hardcodes, or links. The Data Filter utility supports Excel-style shortcuts for toggling filters and opening filter menus to assist in data analysis. The Column Adjust and Row Adjust utilities let you automatically fit column widths or row heights, or set them to specific values when needed. They work reliably even across large selections that span multiple rows or columns, keeping your sheet neatly organised without manual resizing. Column Insert and Row Insert let you add structure instantly (left/right columns, above/below rows) with keyboard shortcuts. Merge / Unmerge supports Merge All, Unmerge, Merge Horizontally and Merge Vertically. Freeze / Unfreeze supports freezing to the current row, column, or both, plus quick unfreeze actions. Align supports Centre, Left, Right (horizontal) and Top, Middle, Bottom (vertical) alignment modes. Border supports a comprehensive set of border styles: Remove, Bottom, Top, Top & Bottom, Left, Right, Outside, All, Inner, Horizontal, Vertical, Thick Outside, Thick Bottom, Thick Top & Bottom, Double Bottom and Double Top & Bottom. Also includes Set Colour and Set Border panels for choosing border colour and style. Text Control sets the wrapping mode for selected cells — Clip, Overflow, or Wrap. Text To Columns splits cell text into separate columns using a delimiter. Group lets you group, ungroup, expand, or collapse row and column groups. Goal Seek allows you to solve formulas by automatically finding the input value that produces a desired result, using a workflow familiar to Excel users: • Specify a target cell, a desired result, and the input cell to adjust. • Iteratively adjusts the selected variable until the target value is reached. • Advanced settings allow you to define calculation precision and optional lower and upper bounds for the variable. • Designed for numerical stability and reliable convergence in complex models. • Fully keyboard-driven workflow for fast, repeatable analysis without leaving the spreadsheet context. Paste Special brings Excel-style flexibility into Google Sheets by letting you control how the Copy operation behaves. Choose from options like values only, formats only, formulas only, transposed data, column widths only, or everything except borders. By default, a dedicated dialog is available with Alt + E + S, and you can also assign direct shortcuts to your most-used Paste Special modes for a faster workflow. Whether you're refining financial models or maintaining shared templates, Utilities streamlines repetitive tasks - from applying consistent formatting to copying the sum of a selected range - while keeping your workflow efficient and distraction-free. New utilities are always included automatically on first install. On extension upgrades, they appear in your Available Utilities list, and you can either assign them manually or press Reset to Defaults to add them with their default settings. Where applicable, default shortcuts match those used in Microsoft Excel for a familiar and efficient experience. Our Current Tools, Customisable Shortcuts, and Defaults: • Align - Align cells horizontally or vertically: ◦ Centre (Alt + H + A + C), Left (Alt + H + A + L), Right (Alt + H + A + R) ◦ Top (Alt + H + A + T), Middle (Alt + H + A + M), Bottom (Alt + H + A + B) • Border - Apply or remove cell borders: ◦ Remove (Alt + H + B + N), Bottom (Alt + H + B + O), Top (Alt + H + B + P), Top & Bottom (Alt + H + B + D) ◦ Left (Alt + H + B + L), Right (Alt + H + B + R), Outside (Alt + H + B + S), All (Alt + H + B + A) ◦ Inner (Alt + H + B + I), Horizontal (Alt + H + B + Z), Vertical (Alt + H + B + V) ◦ Thick Outside (Alt + H + B + T), Thick Bottom (Alt + H + B + H), Thick Top & Bottom (Alt + H + B + C) ◦ Double Bottom (Alt + H + B + B), Double Top & Bottom (Alt + H + B + U) ◦ Set Colour (Alt + H + B + K), Set Border (Alt + H + B + Y) • Calculation Steps - Step-by-step formula breakdown - Ctrl + Q. • Column Adjust - Auto-adjust column widths - Alt + H + O + I. Or set a specific width for columns in selected range - Alt + H + O + W. • Column Insert - Insert a column to the left (Alt + I + C) or right (Alt + I + G). • Copy Sum - Copy the sum of the selected range to the clipboard - Ctrl + Shift + S. • Data Filter - Toggle filters - Ctrl + Shift + L. Or open the filter menu - Alt + Shift + D. • Decimal Places - Increase decimal places with Alt + H + 0, decrease with Alt + H + 9. • Goal Seek - Solve for an input value that produces a target result - Alt + A + W + G. • Group - Group, ungroup, expand, or collapse row and column groups: ◦ Group (Alt + A + G + G), Ungroup (Alt + A + G + U) ◦ Expand (Alt + A + J), Collapse (Alt + A + H) • Number Format Cycle - Quickly switch between general number formats - Ctrl + Shift + 1. • Percent Format Cycle - Toggle percent styles with one shortcut - Ctrl + Shift + 2. • Date Format Cycle - Cycle through common date formats - Ctrl + Shift + 3. • USD Currency Format Cycle - Apply and switch between USD currency formats - Ctrl + Shift + 4. • EUR & GBP Currency Format Cycle - Toggle between Euro and Pound formats - Ctrl + Shift + 5. • Logical Value Format Cycle - Format TRUE/FALSE values in your preferred style - Ctrl + Shift + 6. • Font Color Format Cycle - Cycle between custom font colors - Ctrl + ‘. • Fill Color Format Cycle - Quickly apply or toggle between fill color presets - Ctrl + Shift + K. • Paste Special - Open the Paste Special dialog (Alt + E + S) or bind direct shortcuts to specific Paste Special modes. • Row Adjust - Auto-fit row heights - Alt + H + O + A. Or set a specific height for rows in the selected range - Alt + H + O + H. • Row Insert - Insert a row above (Alt + I + R) or below (Alt + I + B). • Merge / Unmerge - Merge or unmerge cells: ◦ Merge All (Alt + H + M + A), Unmerge (Alt + H + M + U) ◦ Merge Horizontally (Alt + H + M + H), Merge Vertically (Alt + H + M + V) • Freeze / Unfreeze - Freeze or unfreeze rows and columns: ◦ Freeze Row & Column (Alt + W + F + F), Unfreeze All (Alt + W + F + U) ◦ Freeze Row (Alt + F + R), Unfreeze Row (Alt + W + F + R) ◦ Freeze Column (Alt + F + C), Unfreeze Column (Alt + W + F + C) • Text Control - Set text wrapping for selected cells: ◦ Clip (Alt + H + W + C), Overflow (Alt + H + W + O), Wrap (Alt + H + W + W) • Text To Columns - Split cell text into separate columns - Alt + A + E. • Toggle Grid Lines - Show or hide gridlines for the current worksheet - Alt + G + F + G. • Trace Precedents - See all referenced cells and navigate dependencies - Ctrl + Shift + Q. • Trace Dependents - See all cells that reference the selected cell or range - Alt + Q. Customise all shortcuts by clicking the Formula Explorer icon in the top-right corner of Google Sheets. After installation, sign in with your Google Account to activate your free license. Only basic account details (name and email) are requested for login, which is sufficient to use all Utilities. Access to your Google Sheets data is requested only when using Calculation Steps or Trace Precedents, as it’s required to analyse formulas and retrieve intermediate results. We never access, store, or share your sheet data.For more details, see our Security Policy at https://www.cognisheets.com/legal/security and Privacy Policy at https://cognisheets.com/legal/privacy. Free to use. Actively developed with new features added regularly. Boost your spreadsheet productivity - with confidence and clarity - using Formula Explorer.