Excel normally recalculates formulas automatically whenever values they depend on change. If a workbook is showing old results, Calculation Options may have been switched to Manual.
Turn automatic calculation on
- Open the workbook in Excel.
- Select the Formulas tab.
- Choose Calculation Options.
- Select Automatic.
- Change a value used by a formula and confirm that the result updates.
Force a recalculation when needed
If you have just changed the setting and want to refresh formulas immediately, use Excel’s Calculate Now or Calculate Sheet commands. Keyboard shortcuts can also trigger recalculation, but Automatic mode should handle ordinary edits afterward.
Why a workbook might use Manual mode
Very large spreadsheets with thousands of formulas, volatile functions, external links, or complex models can take noticeable time to recalculate. Some users intentionally choose Manual calculation while making a series of changes. The danger is forgetting that setting and then reading results that have not been refreshed.
Calculation mode can also be influenced by workbooks opened during an Excel session, so check the setting when results unexpectedly stop updating.
If formulas still do not update
Confirm that the cell actually contains a formula rather than text, that referenced cells contain the expected values, and that circular-reference warnings are not involved. External links and data connections have their own refresh behavior and are not fixed merely by changing formula calculation to Automatic.
Excel 2013 is an old, unsupported Office release. The calculation concept remains in current Excel versions, but for security and compatibility, use a supported Microsoft 365 or Office version for files that come from other people or the internet.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
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