Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to resolve them. Still stuck? Contact support.
The ribbon doesn’t appear after install
Close Excel completely and reopen it. If the Formula Audit XL tab is still missing, check File → Options → Add-ins → COM Add-ins and make sure Formula Audit XL is enabled and not in the disabled-items list.
The add-in is disabled on startup
Excel sometimes disables an add-in after a crash. Go to File → Options → Add-ins → Manage: Disabled Items → Go, select the add-in, and click Enable. Then restart Excel.
Licence key not accepted
Check for leading or trailing spaces when pasting the key, confirm you are online for the activation check, and make sure the key matches your plan. Contact support if it still fails.
Windows SmartScreen blocks the installer
Click “More info” on the SmartScreen prompt, then “Run anyway”. The add-in is an .xlam file. If macros are blocked, enable them via File > Options > Trust Center > Macro Settings.
Analysis is slow on a very large workbook
Performance scales with the number of formulas. Close other workbooks, and run the audit on a single model at a time. Cross-workbook tracing requires the linked files to be open.
My model contents aren’t sent anywhere, right?
Correct. Formula Audit XL processes your model locally inside Excel and never uploads its contents. See the security page for details.
Still need a hand?
For Microsoft Excel on Windows: 2016, 2019, 2021 & 365 · No data leaves your machine