Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Viewing Formulas in Table Cells.

Viewing Formulas in Table Cells

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 21, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Johannes asked if there was a way to view formulas that are in table cells. It seems that his formulas tend to be too long for the smaller cells in his table, and that prevents them from being completely displayed when he looks at field codes instead of field results.

Unfortunately, Word does not have a feature such as those present in Excel or in Access that allow you to view the contents of a cell independently from the document itself. One solution, however, is to simply make sure that you don't limit the height of a row in the table. If the row height can change, as necessary, then the row will expand when you are viewing field codes and contract to normal height when you are viewing field results. Follow these steps:

  1. Position the insertion point within the table.
  2. Display the Layout tab of the ribbon. (This tab is visible only when you complete step 1.)
  3. Click the Properties tool in the Table group. Word displays the Table Properties dialog box.
  4. Make sure the Row tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The Row tab of the Table Properties dialog box.

  6. Make sure the Specify Height check box is selected.
  7. Using the Row Height Is drop-down, select At Least.
  8. Specify how high you want each row to be, at a minimum.
  9. Click on OK.

Now, when you press Alt+F9 to view field codes, the row height will change temporarily to accommodate the entire formula. The row height will revert to its normal appearance when you later view the field results.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9829) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Viewing Formulas in Table Cells.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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