How to use Goal Seek in Excel
Goal Seek flips a model around: instead of "what's the result from these inputs?", it asks "what input gets me to this result?" Perfect for break-even, target pricing and required-growth questions. Here's how, and the one-click alternative.
When Goal Seek is the tool
Any time you know the answer you want and need the one input that gets you there.
Break-even
What sales volume makes profit exactly zero?
Target pricing
What price hits a £50k profit at current costs?
Required growth
What monthly rate reaches the year-end goal?
How to use it in Excel
Goal Seek needs a working formula model and a single input to solve for — then it's three boxes and a click.
Build a formula model
A result cell that calculates from input cells — e.g. profit = (price − cost) × volume.
Open Goal Seek
Data › What-If Analysis › Goal Seek.
Fill the three boxes
Set cell = your result cell; To value = your target number; By changing cell = the single input to solve for.
Apply or discard
Excel finds the input and previews it. Click OK to keep it or Cancel to revert.
Goal Seek only moves one input at a time and needs a genuine formula chain — if the result cell is a typed number, or doesn't depend on the cell you're changing, it has nothing to solve. For two or more inputs at once, you need Solver; for sweeping a range of values, a Data Table. Goal Seek is the quick, single-lever answer.
The faster way — skip the setup
One lever at a time is fine for a single question, but tedious for comparing scenarios. DataHub Pro solves to a target and lines the options up.
One lever at a time
- Needs a clean formula model
- Solves a single input only
- Re-run for each target
- Doesn't compare scenarios
Targets and scenarios together
- Upload the model — inputs detected
- Solve to a target instantly
- Compare multiple scenarios side by side
- Export the answer to a report
FAQ
What does Goal Seek do in Excel?
Goal Seek works backwards from a result. You tell it which result cell to hit, what value you want, and which input cell it may change — and it finds the input that produces that result.
Where is Goal Seek in Excel?
It's on the Data tab under What-If Analysis › Goal Seek. The dialog has three boxes: Set cell (the result), To value (your target), and By changing cell (the input to solve for).
Why is Goal Seek not working?
The result cell must be a formula that depends on the cell you're changing. If it's a hard-typed number, or doesn't reference the changing input, Goal Seek has nothing to solve and returns an error or no change.
Keep exploring
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