Describe the calculation, get the Excel formula.

The real problem with Excel formulas isn't the formulas. It's the syntax. You know exactly what you want to calculate. You just can't remember whether it's SUMIFS or SUMIF, whether the criteria range goes before or after the sum range, and why your VLOOKUP keeps returning #N/A.

That's what this tool fixes. You describe the calculation the way you'd describe it to a coworker. We return the working formula plus a plain-English explanation of what each part does.

What it handles well

Nested IFs, SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP, array formulas, date math, text manipulation (LEFT, RIGHT, MID, TEXT, SUBSTITUTE), and the dynamic array functions people are still figuring out (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE).

It also handles the thing most tutorials skip: when your formula is broken and you can't tell why. Paste the broken formula in, describe what it's supposed to do, and we'll tell you what's wrong.

How people actually use it

The tool gets used for three things, roughly in this order. First, writing formulas from scratch when you know the outcome you want but not the syntax. Second, debugging formulas somebody else wrote (or you wrote six months ago and no longer understand). Third, learning. A lot of users tell us they use the explanations to actually get better at Excel over time, which was not the plan but we'll take it.

What it won't do

If your question is about Excel itself, not a formula (how do I create a pivot table, how do I conditionally format this range), use the How-To Guide Generator instead. If you need VBA or a macro, use the VBA Script Generator.

Free plan limits

Five generations without signing up. Create a free account for more. Paid plans exist for people who hit the limit and want to stop hitting it.