How to Use Goal Seek in Excel

Backsolving for What-If Analysis

Excel’s Goal Seek is a What-If Analysis feature that allows backsolving calculations. It’s useful in situations where you have a known output value but want to find the input that dictates it.

In the ribbon, it is found in Data (tab) > What-If Analysis (Forecast group) > Goal Seek.

The Goal Seek window contains three fields:

• Set cell—the cell reference containing the output formula.
• To value—the target value of the output formula.
• By changing cell—the cell reference of the input value.

Workbook

The example explained is found in the following workbook:

🔗 Goal-Seek-Example.xlsb

Scenario (Fictional)