Formulas > =FORMULATEXT()

How To Use FORMULATEXT() Function in Google Sheets

Description

Returns the formula as a string.

What are the common questions about the FORMULATEXT formula?
The common questions about the FORMULATEXT formula in Google Sheets include: what does it do, how is it used, what is the syntax of the formula, and what are some common mistakes to avoid when using it.

Quite simply, it returns a string from a formula. It's used when you need to just see the string and don't necessarily need the results of the formula.

How can the FORMULATEXT formula be used appropriately?
The FORMULATEXT formula in Google Sheets can be used to extract the text representation of a formula used in a cell. This can be useful when you want to copy or share the formula used in a cell without having to manually re-type it. If you find yourself copy a formula, pasting a formula, then adding  a single quote before the equals sign. The FORMULATEXT formula can save you from doing that.

For some situations you might be trying to debug a formula and you want to not look at it in the formula bar. you want to see the formula as text in a cell. Maybe to make it easier for someone to copy/paste it or to see the formula itself. For example when teaching certain formulas in a video, you can reveal the formula as text in another cell, instead of having to double click into a cell and show the formula.

How can the FORMULATEXT formula be commonly mistyped?
The FORMULATEXT formula can be commonly mistyped by misspelling the function name, using incorrect syntax or referencing cells incorrectly.
FORMULATEXT can easily be mistyped as FORMTEXT, or FORMULTEXT, or FORMULA TEXT, or FORMULATXT, or FORMTXT, or FRMLATEXT, or FRMULATEXT.

What are some common ways the FORMULATEXT formula is used inappropriately?
The FORMULATEXT formula is commonly used inappropriately by attempting to use it on cells that do not contain formulas, or by using it to extract text from formulas that reference other sheets or workbooks. You can also think, wrongly, that a formula is what you need to see. But in fact you might need to represent that formula in a different way.

What are some common pitfalls when using the FORMULATEXT formula?
One common pitfall when using the FORMULATEXT formula is that it only returns the text representation of a formula used in a cell. It does not evaluate the formula, so any values or calculations are not returned.

What are common mistakes when using the FORMULATEXT Formula?
Common mistakes when using the FORMULATEXT formula include using it on cells that do not contain formulas, using it to extract text from complex or nested formulas, and failing to reference the correct cell or range. A common mistake is to think that the result you need is to see a formula be in fact you do know if that formula is correct or not.

What are common misconceptions people might have with the FORMULATEXT Formula?
A common misconception people might have about the FORMULATEXT formula is that it returns the actual result of a formula, rather than the text representation of the formula. Another misconception is that it can be used to extract text from formulas that reference other sheets or workbooks.

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How To Actually Use FORMULATEXT() in Sheets

FORMULATEXT(cell)

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