See what’s behind
the numbers.

The installer is not yet code-signed, so Windows may warn or block it. Download only from frankforexcel.com and follow your organisation’s software policy. See the installation instructions, or email support@frankforexcel.com if you are unsure.

Select a formula and press Ctrl+Shift+[. Explorer shows its direct inputs; nested functions and ranges can be expanded. By default, referenced cells do not expand into their own formulas. Turn off Stop at referenced cells in Settings › Tracing to explore further, or use Trace to inputs to find upstream inputs. Optional formula explanations appear inside Explorer. Select an entry to inspect its cells in Excel.

Run Hardcoded numbers for a focused list, or Health check for a broader review. Choose the workbook, sheet or selection to inspect. Common unit constants are excluded by default. A number inside a formula may be intentional — for example, a text-position argument — so a result is not automatically a mistake. Health check also looks for unusual formula patterns, error cells and broken names. When enough references can be checked, it can identify formulas that might not be used elsewhere. Read any scan limitations before drawing conclusions, and export the results to share them.

Yes. Scans show progress and let you stop while keeping the results found so far. Percentages describe the current step or sheet, not time remaining. Some preparation steps use a moving bar instead. Use Run again for a fresh scan. If Health check finishes with gaps, open Scan report to see which checks could not finish and what to do next. An individual Excel operation, such as opening a comparison file, may need to finish before the scan can stop.

Yes. Open Settings and use Find a setting. General lets you turn side-by-side viewing on or off, enlarge text and adjust list spacing. Tracing lets you look for dependents on this sheet, in this workbook or across open workbooks. To learn a tool, expand How to use this tool in its window. Keyboard reference is under Help / licence, and section resets are under Troubleshooting.

No. Frank reads formulas and cell values locally through Excel. Its explanations and checks use programmed rules, not an AI model. It does not upload your workbook. Findings are prompts for review, not a guarantee that a model is correct.

You can keep using Excel shortcuts and the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). When Frank registers an overlapping shortcut, that key combination runs Frank instead of Excel’s usual command. Another add-in or macro can later take over the same combination. Reassign or unbind Frank’s keys in Settings › Shortcuts; Frank’s ribbon commands remain available. Compatibility with other add-ins can vary.

Explorer, audit scans and comparison inspect your workbook without changing cell values or formulas. Navigation can reveal an ordinary hidden sheet and the target’s rows or columns on an unprotected sheet. These visibility changes may trigger a save prompt. Colour, number format, scaling and AutoColor commands save Frank Undo before applying changes, with a limit of 20,000 cells per command. Formula map adds highlighting rules you can remove with Clear formula map. Exporting results adds a worksheet. Change journal’s Put back command changes a cell only when you explicitly choose it.

The tools stop running. Your keys, colours and settings stay exactly as they were. Install a licence file from Settings › Help / licence and everything comes back.

Not currently. Frank requires Windows and 64-bit desktop Excel 2016 or later, including Microsoft 365. It does not run on Mac, in Excel for the web or in 32-bit Excel.

Yes. Email support@frankforexcel.com with the Excel task you want to make easier, even if it needs a new tool or function. A small example using made-up data helps. I read every suggestion, though I can’t promise to build them all.

It’s a name and a play on being frank: clear, direct and honest. That’s the idea behind the tool — helping you see what a formula is doing and which parts of a model need a closer look.