Forum Discussion
Vinod_Sir
Aug 07, 2025Copper Contributor
Goal Seek use + instead of Formula
When you use Goal Seek in Excel, it might not work right if you use a SUM formula. The results can look confusing. Try to understand what value you want to reach and which number needs to change. In...
NikolinoDE
Aug 09, 2025Platinum Contributor
a quick tip 🙂
Example:
Suppose you want A1 + A2 = 100, and you want Excel to change A2.
Put in the Set Cell:
=A1 + A2
Set Cell: cell with that formula
To Value: 100
By Changing Cell: A2
This works — but the clearer way is: =TargetValue - (A1 + A2)
Now your formula is literally “gap to target,” and Goal Seek just tries to zero it out.
Hope it helps you