Microsoft Excel 2026: From Beginner to Confident User

Entering data correctly is the foundation of everything in Excel. This video covers how to type, edit, and cancel entries — and the key difference between two editing modes that most beginners confuse.

What you will learn in this video

• How to enter data and move to the next cell using Enter and Tab

• How to edit a cell using F2 without erasing its content

• How typing directly into a cell replaces the existing content entirely

• How to edit in the Formula Bar

• How to cancel an entry using Escape before confirming it

Practical outcomes

• You will enter and edit data accurately without accidental overwrites

• You will use F2 confidently to make precise edits inside a cell

Common questions this video answers

• How do I edit a cell in Excel without deleting everything?

• What is the difference between typing in a cell and pressing F2?

• How do I cancel an entry in Excel before pressing Enter?

• How do I move between cells while entering data?

Excel treats numbers, text, and dates differently. If you do not understand this, your formulas will give wrong results and you will not know why. This video explains it clearly.

What you will learn in this video

• How Excel automatically detects data types when you type

• Why numbers align to the right and text aligns to the left

• How Excel stores dates as numbers behind the scenes

• How to tell if a number is stored as text — and why that causes formula errors

• Why alignment is the quickest way to check what type of data is in a cell

Practical outcomes

• You will immediately recognise data type issues just by looking at alignment

• You will understand why dates behave like numbers in calculations

• You will avoid the common mistake of formulas not working because numbers are stored as text

Common questions this video answers

• Why is my number left-aligned in Excel?

• Why are my Excel dates showing as numbers?

• What is the difference between a number and text in Excel?

• Why is my SUM formula returning zero even though there are numbers?

Number formatting is one of the most underused features in Excel. It changes how a number looks without changing its actual value. This video shows you how to take full control of it.

What you will learn in this video

• Why formatting only changes the appearance — not the underlying value

• How to open Format Cells quickly using Control plus 1

• How to apply Number, Currency, Percentage, and Date formats

• How to write custom format codes — such as #,##0 for thousands separators and 0.00% for percentages

• How to format the same date in multiple different ways using format codes

Practical outcomes

• You will format numbers, currencies, percentages, and dates to look exactly as needed

• You will write basic custom format codes without looking them up

• You will understand why a formatted cell and its raw value can look completely different

Common questions this video answers

• How do I add a thousands separator in Excel?

• How do I format a number as a percentage in Excel?

• What is a custom number format in Excel?

• How do I change how a date looks in Excel without changing the date itself?

Text that spills into other cells, headers that are hard to read, merged cells that break your formulas — this video fixes all of that.

What you will learn in this video

• How to change horizontal alignment — left, centre, right

• How to change vertical alignment — top, middle, bottom

• How Wrap Text keeps long content inside a single cell

• How Merge and Centre works and when not to use it

• How Centre Across Selection achieves the same visual result without the problems of merging

Practical outcomes

• You will keep your data clean and readable without content spilling across cells

• You will use Centre Across Selection instead of Merge and Centre where it matters

Common questions this video answers

• How do I wrap text in an Excel cell?

• What is wrong with Merge and Center in Excel?

• How do I centre a heading across multiple columns without merging?

• How do I align text to the middle of a cell vertically?

A well-formatted spreadsheet is easier to read and easier to trust. This video covers the formatting tools you will use every day — and one time-saving trick most people miss.

What you will learn in this video

• How to apply Bold, Italic, and Underline using keyboard shortcuts

• How to change font size and font type from the Home tab

• How to apply fill colour and font colour to cells

• How to add borders to cells and ranges

• How to use Format Painter to copy formatting from one cell to many others

• How to keep Format Painter active across multiple cells using double-click

Practical outcomes

• You will format spreadsheets consistently and professionally

• You will use Format Painter to apply formatting in seconds instead of repeating it manually

Common questions this video answers

• What is the shortcut for Bold in Excel?

• How do I add a border to cells in Excel?

• How do I copy formatting from one cell to another in Excel?

• What does Format Painter do in Excel?

Columns that are too narrow cut off your data. Columns that are too wide waste space. This video shows you how to resize everything in seconds — including the whole sheet at once.

What you will learn in this video

• How to resize columns and rows by clicking and dragging the border

• How to AutoFit a column to its content by double-clicking the column border

• How to AutoFit all columns at once by selecting the entire sheet first

• How to set a specific width or height by right-clicking the column or row header

• How to resize multiple columns to the same width in one step

Practical outcomes

• You will never have cut-off content or oversized columns in your spreadsheets

• You will AutoFit the entire sheet in three clicks or less

Common questions this video answers

• How do I AutoFit column width in Excel?

• How do I make all columns the same width in Excel?

• How do I resize multiple columns at once in Excel?

• How do I fit text inside a column automatically in Excel?

Everyone knows Control plus C and Control plus V. But Paste Special is where the real power is. This video shows you three Paste Special tricks that save significant time in real work.

What you will learn in this video

• How to copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts

• How to open Paste Special using Control plus Alt plus V

• How Paste Values removes formulas and keeps only the results

• How Transpose flips rows into columns and columns into rows

• How the Operations options — Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide — modify an entire range in one step

Practical outcomes

• You will paste only values when you need to freeze formula results

• You will transpose data in one step instead of retyping it

• You will apply mathematical operations to a whole column without a helper formula

Common questions this video answers

• How do I paste values only in Excel without the formula?

• How do I transpose data in Excel — rows to columns?

• What is Paste Special in Excel?

• How do I add the same number to an entire column in Excel?

Two features that automate repetitive data entry. Fill Handle continues a series. Flash Fill recognises a pattern and finishes the job for you — no formula needed.

What you will learn in this video

• What the Fill Handle is and where to find it on a selected cell

• How to drag the Fill Handle to copy a value down

• How to create a series — numbers, months, dates — by selecting two values and dragging

• How to double-click the Fill Handle to fill down automatically to match adjacent data

• How Flash Fill detects a pattern from your first entry and completes the rest

• How to trigger Flash Fill using Control plus E

Practical outcomes

• You will fill series and patterns without typing each value manually

• You will use Flash Fill to split, combine, or reformat text data in seconds

Common questions this video answers

• How do I auto-fill a series of numbers in Excel?

• What is Flash Fill in Excel and how does it work?

• How do I split names into first and last name in Excel without a formula?

• What is the shortcut for Flash Fill in Excel?

Find and Replace does more than swap one word for another. This video shows you how to use wildcards and formatting options to make it a genuinely powerful data cleaning tool.

What you will learn in this video

• How to open Find with Control plus F and Find and Replace with Control plus H

• How to replace all instances of a value at once or go one at a time

• How the asterisk wildcard matches any number of characters

• How the question mark wildcard matches exactly one character

• How to find and replace with formatting — changing the format of matched cells

Practical outcomes

• You will clean and standardise data across large datasets in seconds

• You will use wildcards to find partial matches without knowing the exact value

Common questions this video answers

• How do I find and replace text in Excel?

• What is a wildcard in Excel Find and Replace?

• How do I replace formatting in Excel?

• How do I find cells that contain a specific word in Excel?

When you scroll down a large dataset and your headers disappear, you lose track of which column is which. Freeze Panes fixes this. Split View goes one step further.

What you will learn in this video

• Why headers disappear when scrolling and why that is a problem

• How to freeze the top row so headers always stay visible

• How to freeze the first column

• How to freeze both a row and a column at the same time — and which cell to click first

• How to unfreeze panes

• How Split View divides the screen to show two different parts of the same sheet simultaneously

Practical outcomes

• You will always be able to see your headers no matter how far you scroll

• You will set up freeze panes correctly for both rows and columns together

Common questions this video answers

• How do I keep the header row visible when scrolling in Excel?

• How do I freeze the first row and first column at the same time in Excel?

• What is Freeze Panes in Excel?

• How do I split the Excel screen to view two parts of the same sheet?

Before we write a single function, you need to understand two things — what a formula is, and what a function is. Most courses skip this. It causes confusion later. This video clears it up in three minutes.

What you will learn in this video

• What a formula is and why every formula starts with an equal sign

• The difference between a formula and a function

• How to refer to cells in a formula instead of typing values directly

• The four basic operators — plus, minus, asterisk, and forward slash

• How Excel follows the order of operations and why brackets matter

Practical outcomes

• You will understand what happens behind the scenes when you write a formula

• You will know why results update automatically when source data changes

• You will never confuse a formula with a function again

Common questions this video answers

• What is a formula in Excel?

• What is the difference between a formula and a function in Excel?

• Why does every Excel formula start with an equal sign?

• How does Excel calculate the order of operations?

SUM is the most used function in Excel. This video covers not just how to write it, but how to select ranges efficiently and how to get a quick total without writing any formula at all.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of SUM — what each argument means

• How to select a range by clicking and dragging or using Control plus Shift plus Arrow

• How to add multiple separate ranges in a single SUM formula

• How to read a quick total in the status bar without writing a formula

Practical outcomes

• You will write SUM formulas quickly and accurately for any range

• You will select large ranges without clicking through hundreds of rows

Common questions this video answers

• How do I add up a column of numbers in Excel?

• What is the SUM function in Excel?

• How do I sum multiple ranges in one formula?

• How do I see the total of selected cells without a formula in Excel?

AVERAGE works like SUM but with one important behaviour difference — how it handles blank cells versus zero values. Getting this wrong gives you a misleading result.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of AVERAGE and how to feed it a range

• Why AVERAGE skips blank cells and does not treat them as zero

• Why a cell containing zero is included in the average — and how that affects the result

• How to apply AVERAGE to different columns in the same dataset

Practical outcomes

• You will calculate accurate averages without blank cells skewing the result

• You will know the difference between a blank cell and a zero value in an average calculation

Common questions this video answers

• How do I calculate the average in Excel?

• Does Excel AVERAGE ignore blank cells?

• Why is my Excel average wrong?

• What is the AVERAGE function syntax in Excel?

COUNT and COUNTA both count cells — but they count different things. Choosing the wrong one gives you an answer that looks right but is not. This video shows you exactly when to use each one.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of COUNT and what it counts — numbers only

• The syntax of COUNTA and what it counts — any non-empty cell

• Why COUNT returns a lower number than expected when blank cells are present

• When to use COUNT versus COUNTA in real work scenarios

Practical outcomes

• You will choose the correct counting function for every situation

• You will count entries in a list of names or text values correctly using COUNTA

Common questions this video answers

• What is the difference between COUNT and COUNTA in Excel?

• How do I count cells with text in Excel?

• Why is my COUNT formula not counting all the cells?

• How do I count non-empty cells in Excel?

MIN and MAX find the lowest and highest values. LARGE and SMALL go further — they let you find the second highest, third lowest, or any ranked value without sorting your data.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of MIN and MAX and how to apply them to a range

• The syntax of LARGE — array and k arguments explained

• How changing the k argument returns different ranked values

• The syntax of SMALL and how it mirrors LARGE from the bottom

• A practical use case — finding the top three values without sorting

Practical outcomes

• You will find the highest and lowest values in any dataset instantly

• You will use LARGE and SMALL to pull ranked values without sorting or filtering

Common questions this video answers

• How do I find the highest value in a column in Excel?

• How do I find the second largest value in Excel?

• What is the LARGE function in Excel?

• How do I get the top 3 values in Excel without sorting?

IF is one of the most important functions in Excel. It makes decisions — returning one result when a condition is true, and another when it is false. Once you understand IF, your formulas become genuinely useful.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of IF — logical test, value if true, value if false

• What the logical test is and how to build one using comparison operators

• Why text results go inside double quotes and number results do not

• How to feed each argument of IF by clicking on cells from the dataset

• How to verify the formula is working by checking a Yes and a No result manually

Practical outcomes

• You will write IF formulas to categorise, flag, and label data automatically

• You will use all six comparison operators correctly inside the logical test

Common questions this video answers

• How does the IF function work in Excel?

• What is the syntax of IF in Excel?

• How do I use IF to show Yes or No in Excel?

• How do I compare two cells in Excel and show a result based on the comparison?

IF handles two outcomes. When you need three or more — like grading performance as Excellent, Good, or Needs Improvement — you need a Nested IF. This video builds one step by step and shows you exactly how Excel reads it.

What you will learn in this video

• Why a single IF is not enough when you have more than two possible outcomes

• How to place an IF inside the false argument of another IF

• How Excel evaluates a nested IF — left to right, stopping at the first true condition

• How to build a three-level nested IF for performance ratings using the sales dataset

• How to trace through the formula and verify the result at each level

Practical outcomes

• You will write nested IF formulas to categorise data into three or more groups

• You will read and debug a nested IF without getting lost in the brackets

Common questions this video answers

• How do I write an IF with more than two outcomes in Excel?

• What is a nested IF in Excel?

• How do I assign grades using IF in Excel?

• How many IFs can I nest inside each other in Excel?

IF handles two outcomes. When you need three or more — like grading performance as Excellent, Good, or Needs Improvement — you need a Nested IF. This video builds one step by step and shows you exactly how Excel reads it.

What you will learn in this video

• Why a single IF is not enough when you have more than two possible outcomes

• How to place an IF inside the false argument of another IF

• How Excel evaluates a nested IF — left to right, stopping at the first true condition

• How to build a three-level nested IF for performance ratings using the sales dataset

• How to trace through the formula and verify the result at each level

Practical outcomes

• You will write nested IF formulas to categorise data into three or more groups

• You will read and debug a nested IF without getting lost in the brackets

Common questions this video answers

• How do I write an IF with more than two outcomes in Excel?

• What is a nested IF in Excel?

• How do I assign grades using IF in Excel?

• How many IFs can I nest inside each other in Excel?

COUNTIFS extends COUNTIF to handle multiple conditions at once. Where COUNTIF asks one question, COUNTIFS can ask several — and all of them must be true for a row to be counted.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of COUNTIFS — pairs of criteria range and criteria

• How adding a second condition narrows the count

• How all conditions in COUNTIFS use AND logic — every condition must match

• Practical examples — counting orders by region AND product from the sales dataset

Practical outcomes

• You will count rows that meet two or more conditions simultaneously

• You will understand AND logic in COUNTIFS and use it confidently

Common questions this video answers

• How do I count cells with multiple conditions in Excel?

• What is COUNTIFS in Excel?

• How is COUNTIFS different from COUNTIF?

• How do I count rows where two columns both match a condition in Excel?

SUM adds everything. SUMIF adds only the rows that meet a condition. This is how you get a targeted total — total sales for one region, total revenue for one product — without filtering your data.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of SUMIF — range, criteria, and sum range

• How to identify which column to check and which column to add up

• How to select each argument from the sales dataset by clicking the correct column

• How Excel checks every row and only adds those that match the condition

Practical outcomes

• You will calculate conditional totals from any dataset with a single formula

• You will clearly distinguish the criteria range from the sum range

Common questions this video answers

• How do I sum values based on a condition in Excel?

• What is the SUMIF function in Excel?

• How do I total sales for a specific region in Excel?

• What is the difference between SUM and SUMIF in Excel?

SUMIFS does what SUMIF does — but with multiple conditions. The structure is slightly different and worth understanding clearly. This video walks through it with two conditions and explains why the sum range comes first.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of SUMIFS — sum range first, then condition pairs

• Why the sum range position is different from SUMIF

• How to add a second condition to narrow the total further

• How all conditions in SUMIFS use AND logic

• Why using SUMIFS for single conditions too keeps your formulas consistent

Practical outcomes

• You will calculate totals that meet two or more conditions simultaneously

• You will use SUMIFS as your default over SUMIF for all conditional summing

Common questions this video answers

• How do I use SUMIFS with multiple criteria in Excel?

• What is the difference between SUMIF and SUMIFS?

• Why does SUMIFS have the sum range first?

• How do I sum by region and product in Excel?

AVERAGEIFS calculates the average of values that meet multiple conditions. The structure mirrors SUMIFS — average range first, then condition pairs.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of AVERAGEIFS — average range first, then condition pairs

• How to apply two conditions to narrow the average to a specific group

• Why blank cells are excluded from the average automatically

Practical outcomes

• You will calculate conditional averages across any grouped dataset

Common questions this video answers

• How do I average values with multiple conditions in Excel?

• What is AVERAGEIFS in Excel?

This is the concept that trips up almost every Excel beginner. When you copy a formula and it gives wrong results — or zeros — this is almost always why. This intro video explains the idea before we apply it.

What you will learn in this video

• What relative referencing means — why references shift when you copy a formula

• What the problem looks like in practice — a formula that works in one cell but gives zeros when copied

• How the dollar sign is the solution — a preview before the full demonstration in the next video

Practical outcomes

• You will understand why copied formulas sometimes give unexpected results

• You will be ready to apply the dollar sign fix in the next video with full context

Common questions this video answers

• Why does my Excel formula change when I copy it to another cell?

• What is a relative reference in Excel?

• Why are my copied formulas showing wrong values or zeros?

• What is the difference between Relative, Absolute and Mixed references in Excel?

The concept is clear from the intro. Now we apply it. This video shows the broken formula, fixes it with the dollar sign, and demonstrates the F4 shortcut that makes the whole process fast.

What you will learn in this video

• How to identify which reference in a formula needs to be locked

• A live demonstration — commission calculation that breaks without dollar signs, fixed with them

Practical outcomes

• You will copy formulas down and across without references shifting incorrectly

• You will use F4 to add dollar signs in one keystroke instead of typing them manually

Common questions this video answers

• What does the dollar sign do in an Excel formula?

• What is an absolute reference in Excel?

• How do I stop a cell reference from changing when I copy a formula?

Instead of writing dollar A dollar 1 in every formula, you can give that cell a name and use the name directly. The formula becomes readable at a glance — for you and for anyone else who opens the file.

What you will learn in this video

• How to name a cell using the Name Box at the top left of the screen

• How to name a range of cells the same way

• How to use a named range inside a formula instead of a cell address

• How to view and manage all named ranges using the Name Manager

• Why names cannot contain spaces and how to use underscores instead

• How named ranges work across multiple sheets in the same workbook

Practical outcomes

• You will write formulas that are readable without needing to know where each cell is

• You will manage all named ranges in a workbook using the Name Manager

Common questions this video answers

• What is a named range in Excel?

• How do I create a named range in Excel?

• How do I use a named range in an Excel formula?

• How do I see all named ranges in my Excel workbook?

Errors in Excel are normal. But showing them in a report or dashboard looks messy and confuses the reader. This video shows you how to catch errors and replace them with something clean and meaningful.

What you will learn in this video

• The syntax of IFERROR — value and value if error

• How IFERROR wraps around any formula to catch any type of error

• How to return a blank cell, a dash, or a custom message instead of an error

Practical outcomes

• You will eliminate visible errors from reports and dashboards using IFERROR

Common questions this video answers

• How do I remove error messages in Excel?

• What is IFERROR in Excel?

• How do I show a blank cell instead of an error in Excel?

AND, OR, and NOT on their own just return TRUE or FALSE. But combined with IF, they let you test multiple conditions at once — making your formulas far more precise and powerful.

What you will learn in this video

• How AND returns TRUE only when every condition is true

• How OR returns TRUE when at least one condition is true

• How NOT reverses a logical result

• How to nest AND inside IF as the logical test

• How to nest OR inside IF to allow either condition to qualify

• A side-by-side comparison showing how AND and OR give different results on the same data

Practical outcomes

• You will write IF formulas that test two or more conditions simultaneously

• You will choose correctly between AND and OR based on the logic you need

Common questions this video answers

• How do I use AND with IF in Excel?

• What is the difference between AND and OR in Excel?

• How do I check multiple conditions in an Excel formula?

• How do I use OR inside an IF statement in Excel?

Sorting rearranges your data so the rows you care about appear first. This video covers single-column sorting and multi-level sorting — where you sort by one column and then by another within it.

What you will learn in this video

• How to sort a column A to Z or Z to A using the Data tab

• How the entire row moves with the sorted column — data stays intact

• How to open the Sort dialog for multi-level sorting

• How to add a second sort level within the first

• Why the My Data Has Headers checkbox matters

Practical outcomes

• You will sort any dataset by one or more columns in seconds

• You will use multi-level sort to organise data by region and then by sales amount within each region

Common questions this video answers

• How do I sort data in Excel?

• How do I sort by multiple columns in Excel?

• What is multi-level sort in Excel?

Filtering shows only the rows you need and hides the rest. AutoFilter adds dropdown arrows to your headers — and from there, you can filter by value, by text, by number, or by date.

What you will learn in this video

• How to turn on AutoFilter from the Data tab

• How to filter by selecting specific values from the dropdown

• How to clear a filter and bring all rows back

• How to use Number Filters — greater than, less than, between, above average

• How to turn off all filters at once

Practical outcomes

• You will filter large datasets to show only the rows you need

• You will use custom number filters to find rows above or below a threshold

Common questions this video answers

• How do I filter data in Excel?

• How do I filter by a number greater than a value in Excel?

• How do I remove a filter in Excel?

AutoFilter works well for simple conditions. Advanced Filter handles complex ones — and it can copy the filtered results to a separate location, leaving the original data untouched.

What you will learn in this video

• What a criteria range is and how to set one up above your data

• How conditions on the same row mean AND — both must be true

• How conditions on different rows mean OR — either is enough

• How to run Advanced Filter and copy results to a new location

Practical outcomes

• You will filter data using multiple complex conditions without touching the original table

• You will extract a filtered copy of your data to a separate area of the sheet

Common questions this video answers

• How do I filter with multiple conditions in Excel?

• What is Advanced Filter in Excel?

• How do I copy filtered results to another location in Excel?

• How do I filter for unique records only in Excel?

Converting your data to an Excel Table is one of the best habits you can build. It makes your data smarter — formulas extend automatically, structured references replace cell addresses, and filtering is built in.

What you will learn in this video

• How to convert a data range into a Table using Control plus T

• How the Table auto-expands when you add new rows

• How structured references use column names instead of cell addresses in formulas

• How to add a Total Row and choose Sum, Average, or Count from a dropdown

• How sorting and filtering are built into the Table automatically

Practical outcomes

• You will convert datasets to Tables and work with them more efficiently

• You will use the Total Row to get quick summaries without writing formulas

Common questions this video answers

• What is an Excel Table and why should I use it?

• How do I create a Table in Excel?

• How do I add a total row to an Excel Table?

Duplicate rows are a common problem in data that comes from multiple sources or is entered manually. Excel's Remove Duplicates tool finds and deletes them in one step.

What you will learn in this video

• How to open Remove Duplicates from the Data tab

• How to choose which columns Excel checks when identifying duplicates

• Why keeping all columns ticked gives the strictest duplicate check

• Why this action is permanent and why working on a copy is safer

Practical outcomes

• You will clean duplicate rows from any dataset quickly

• You will understand what Excel considers a duplicate based on which columns you select

Common questions this video answers

• How do I remove duplicate rows in Excel?

• What does Remove Duplicates do in Excel?

• How do I find and delete duplicates in Excel?

When data arrives in a single column that needs to be split — full names, date strings, codes with separators — Text to Columns does the job without any formula.

What you will learn in this video

• How to open Text to Columns from the Data tab

• How to choose Delimited and select the separator — space, comma, or other

• How the preview shows the split before you commit

• How to run through Text to Columns without splitting — just to fix data type recognition

Practical outcomes

• You will split combined data into separate columns without writing a formula

• You will fix numbers or dates that Excel is storing as text using Text to Columns

Common questions this video answers

• How do I split a column in Excel?

• How do I separate first name and last name in Excel?

• What is Text to Columns in Excel?

• How do I split text by a comma or space in Excel?

Data Validation controls what someone can type into a cell. It is how you create dropdown lists, restrict input to a number range, and prevent incorrect data from being entered in the first place.

What you will learn in this video

• How to create a dropdown list using Data Validation

• How to restrict input to whole numbers within a minimum and maximum range

• How to customise the error message that appears when invalid data is entered

• How to add an Input Message that appears as a tooltip when the cell is clicked

Practical outcomes

• You will create dropdown lists that restrict input to a predefined set of options

• You will show clear, helpful error messages when someone enters invalid data

Common questions this video answers

• How do I create a dropdown list in Excel?

• How do I restrict what someone can type in an Excel cell?

• What is Data Validation in Excel?

• How do I add an error message to a cell in Excel?

Conditional Formatting changes how a cell looks based on its value — automatically. It turns rows of numbers into a visual picture where patterns, outliers, and important values stand out immediately.

What you will learn in this video

• How to highlight cells above or below a threshold using Highlight Cell Rules

• How Colour Scales shade cells from one colour to another based on relative value

• How Data Bars add a mini bar chart inside each cell

• How to clear conditional formatting from a range

Practical outcomes

• You will apply colour scales and data bars to make numeric data instantly readable

• You will highlight specific values that meet a condition without sorting or filtering

Common questions this video answers

• What is Conditional Formatting in Excel?

• How do I highlight cells greater than a value in Excel?

• How do I add a colour scale to cells in Excel?

• How do I add data bars to cells in Excel?

The built-in highlight rules are useful but limited. When you write your own formula as the rule, you can highlight entire rows based on a condition — and that is where Conditional Formatting becomes genuinely powerful.

What you will learn in this video

• How to create a formula-based Conditional Formatting rule

• Why you select the full data range before opening the dialog

• How the dollar sign on the column reference locks it while allowing the row to move

• How to highlight all rows where the salesperson is a specific name

• How to add a second rule to highlight rows that missed the target

Practical outcomes

• You will highlight entire rows based on the value of one specific column

• You will build formula-based rules that apply across multiple columns at once

Common questions this video answers

• How do I highlight an entire row based on a cell value in Excel?

• How do I use a formula in Conditional Formatting in Excel?

• How do I apply Conditional Formatting to a whole row in Excel?

• Why does my Conditional Formatting formula not work for the whole row?

Protecting a sheet prevents accidental changes to your formulas and structure. But you can choose which cells stay editable — so someone can still fill in inputs while everything else is locked.

What you will learn in this video

• Why all cells are locked by default but locking only takes effect when the sheet is protected

• How to unlock specific cells so they remain editable after protection is turned on

• How to protect a sheet from the Review tab — with or without a password

• What users can and cannot do on a protected sheet

• How to unprotect a sheet when you need to make changes

Practical outcomes

• You will protect sheets so formulas and structure cannot be accidentally overwritten

• You will leave specific input cells editable while everything else is locked

Common questions this video answers

• How do I protect a sheet in Excel?

• How do I lock cells in Excel?

• How do I allow editing in some cells but not others in Excel?

• How do I password protect an Excel sheet?

VLOOKUP searches a table from left to right and returns a value from a column you specify. It is one of the most used functions in Excel — and one of the most misunderstood.

What you will learn

• Syntax — lookup value, table array, column index number, range lookup

• How the column index number works and what happens when it is wrong

• How to lock the table array with dollar signs so VLOOKUP copies correctly

Practical outcomes

• Write a VLOOKUP that pulls data from any reference table

• Know why FALSE is almost always the right choice for the last argument

Common questions

• How does VLOOKUP work in Excel?

• What does the last argument in VLOOKUP mean?

• How do I lock the table in a VLOOKUP formula?

VLOOKUP has three hard limitations that cause real problems in real work. This video names them clearly so you know when VLOOKUP will fail — and why.

What you will learn

• VLOOKUP can only look to the right — the lookup column must always be the leftmost

• Adding or deleting columns breaks the column index number

• VLOOKUP returns only the first match — duplicate lookup values cause silent errors

Practical outcomes

• Recognise the situations where VLOOKUP will give a wrong result

• Know when to use INDEX MATCH or XLOOKUP instead

Common questions

• Why is my VLOOKUP returning the wrong value?

• Can VLOOKUP look to the left?

• What are the limitations of VLOOKUP?

HLOOKUP is VLOOKUP rotated — it searches across a row instead of down a column. Same logic, different orientation.

What you will learn

• Syntax — lookup value, table array, row index number, range lookup

• The difference between row index number and VLOOKUP's column index number

• When to use HLOOKUP — data arranged horizontally with headers in a row

• The same limitations as VLOOKUP — only looks downward, no left-to-right flexibility

Practical outcomes

• Write an HLOOKUP for horizontally arranged data

• Choose correctly between VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP based on data orientation

Common questions

• What is HLOOKUP in Excel?

• What is the difference between VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP?

• When should I use HLOOKUP instead of VLOOKUP?

INDEX returns a value from a position. MATCH finds the position. Together they fix every limitation VLOOKUP has — look in any direction, handle column changes, return values from the left.

What you will learn

• INDEX syntax — array and row number — and what it returns

• MATCH syntax — lookup value, lookup array, match type — and what it returns

• How to nest MATCH inside INDEX so the position is dynamic

• How to build a two-way lookup using INDEX MATCH in both row and column arguments

• Why this combination is more robust than VLOOKUP for real-world use

Practical outcomes

• Build a flexible lookup that works in any direction

• Use MATCH to make INDEX dynamic without hardcoding a row number

Common questions

• What is INDEX MATCH in Excel?

• How is INDEX MATCH better than VLOOKUP?

• How do I do a left lookup in Excel?

• How do I use INDEX and MATCH together?

XLOOKUP replaces VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP in one function. No column numbers, no range lookup argument, no direction restrictions. Available in Excel 365 and 2021.

What you will learn

• Syntax — lookup value, lookup array, return array, if not found, match mode, search mode

• Why there is no column index number — you select the return column directly

• How the if not found argument replaces the need for IFERROR

• How XLOOKUP looks left, right, up, or down with the same formula

• How match mode 0 gives exact match — the default you will use most often

Practical outcomes

• Write an XLOOKUP to find any value in any direction

• Handle not-found results cleanly without wrapping in IFERROR

Common questions

• How does XLOOKUP work in Excel?

• What is the difference between VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP?

• Can XLOOKUP look to the left?

XLOOKUP can return more than one column at a time. Instead of writing three separate lookups, one formula does all three — and the results spill automatically.

What you will learn

• How selecting a multi-column range as the return array spills multiple results

• How the spill range updates automatically if the source data changes

• A practical example — pulling name, department, and salary in one formula

Practical outcomes

• Return two or more columns from a single XLOOKUP formula

• Use spill behaviour to build cleaner lookup tables without repeating formulas

Common questions

• Can XLOOKUP return multiple columns?

• How do I return more than one value with XLOOKUP?

A standard lookup finds a value based on a row. A two-way lookup finds it based on both a row and a column — useful for tables where both axes matter, like a price matrix.

What you will learn

• How to add a second MATCH inside INDEX to make the column dynamic as well

• The structure — INDEX of the full table, MATCH for the row, MATCH for the column

• A practical example using a product-region price grid

• Why absolute references are essential in this formula

Practical outcomes

• Build a two-way lookup that finds the intersection of a row and a column

• Apply this to any grid-based reference table — prices, rates, schedules

Common questions

• How do I do a two-way lookup in Excel?

• How do I use INDEX MATCH with two criteria?

The wrong chart type makes data harder to read, not easier. This video gives you a simple decision framework so you always pick the right one.

What you will learn

• Column and Bar charts for comparing values across categories

• Line charts for showing trends over time

• Pie and Doughnut charts for showing parts of a whole — and when not to use them

• Combo charts when two different measures need to appear together

Practical outcomes

• Choose the right chart type before you start building

• Avoid the most common charting mistake — using a pie chart with too many slices

Common questions

• What chart should I use in Excel?

• When should I use a bar chart vs a line chart?

• What is the best chart type for comparing data in Excel?

Column charts are the most used chart in business. This video shows how to build one, understand its elements, and fix it when the orientation is wrong.

What you will learn

• How to select data and insert a Clustered Column chart from the Insert tab

• What the three icons on the right of a chart do — elements, style, filter

• How to add a chart title and data labels

• The difference between a Column chart and a Bar chart

Practical outcomes

• Build a column chart from any dataset in under a minute

Common questions

• How do I create a bar chart in Excel?

• How do I add data labels to a chart in Excel?

• What is the difference between a bar chart and a column chart in Excel?

Pie charts show proportions. They work well with a small number of categories and become unreadable with too many. This video also covers the one formatting step that makes pie charts actually useful.

What you will learn

• How to insert a Pie chart and add percentage labels

• How to show percentages instead of raw values in data labels

• How to explode a slice to draw attention to one category

• How to convert a Pie chart to a Doughnut chart and why you might

• The rule — no more than five or six slices

Practical outcomes

• Build a pie chart with percentage labels in place of raw numbers

• Decide when a pie chart is appropriate and when a bar chart is better

Common questions

• How do I show percentages in a pie chart in Excel?

• How do I explode a slice in an Excel pie chart?

• What is the difference between a pie chart and a doughnut chart?

• When should I not use a pie chart?

A Combo chart puts two different chart types on the same axes — typically columns for actuals and a line for a target or trend. When the two series have very different value ranges, a secondary axis keeps both readable.

What you will learn

• How to insert a Combo chart and assign a different type to each series

• How to add a secondary vertical axis for a series with a different scale

• A practical example — monthly sales as columns with a target line on top

• When a secondary axis is needed and when it is not

Practical outcomes

• Build a chart that shows actual versus target on the same canvas

• Add and remove a secondary axis correctly

Common questions

• How do I create a combo chart in Excel?

• How do I add a secondary axis in Excel?

• How do I show a target line on a bar chart in Excel?

• How do I combine a line and bar chart in Excel?

Two drags and you have a summary table. This video builds a PivotTable step by step from a 50-row sales dataset and shows how quickly the arrangement can be changed.

What you will learn

• What a PivotTable does and what problem it solves

• How to insert a PivotTable into a new sheet

• The four areas — Rows, Columns, Values, Filters — and what each one controls

• How to drag Region to Rows and Sales Amount to Values

• How to add a second field to Columns to create a cross-tab

• How rearranging fields changes the view instantly

Practical outcomes

• Build a PivotTable from any dataset in under two minutes

• Rearrange fields to answer different questions from the same data

Common questions

• How do I create a PivotTable in Excel?

• How do I add fields to a PivotTable?

• How do I group data in a PivotTable?

• How do I summarise data by region in Excel?

When your PivotTable has a date field, Excel can group those dates by month, quarter, or year automatically. This video shows how — and what to do when auto-grouping does not appear.

What you will learn

• How to right-click a date field in the PivotTable and choose Group

• How to select Months and Years together for a drill-down view

• How to collapse and expand year groups using the plus and minus buttons

• Why the Month column in this dataset is text — and what that means for grouping

• How to ungroup dates when needed

Practical outcomes

• Group date fields into months, quarters, and years

• Collapse and expand date groups to show summary or detail

Common questions

• How do I group dates by month in a PivotTable?

• How do I group by quarter in Excel PivotTable?

• Why can't I group dates in my PivotTable?

• How do I expand and collapse groups in a PivotTable?