What If Analysis in Excel Online

Performing a what-if analysis in Excel is the key to moving from simply reporting data to actively modeling the future. It allows you to change variables in a formula to see how those changes will affect the outcome, making it an essential tool for forecasting, budgeting, and strategic planning. This article walks you through a few practical methods for conducting what-if analysis directly within Excel Online.

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What is What-If Analysis?

At its core, what-if analysis is the process of testing different scenarios to understand the potential impact of various conditions. It's all about answering questions that start with "what if...?"

• "What if we increase our prices by 10%?"
• "What if our ad spend results in a 20% increase in website traffic?"
• "What if our material costs go down by 5% next quarter?"

Instead of just guessing, this process uses a structured model in your spreadsheet to see how changing one or more "input" values affects a calculated "output" value. For example, your input cells might be Price per Unit and Units Sold, and your output cell would be a formula that calculates Total Revenue. By changing the price or units sold, you can instantly see the impact on your revenue, allowing for more informed decision-making.

Excel Desktop vs. Excel Online: A Quick Reality Check

Before we go further, it's important to understand a key difference between the desktop and web versions of Excel. The desktop version of Excel includes a dedicated "What-If Analysis" section in the Data tab with three powerful, built-in tools: Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, and Data Tables.

As of now, Excel Online (the web version) does not have the built-in Scenario Manager or Goal Seek features. You can view and interact with Data Tables that were created in the desktop app, but you cannot create them from scratch in the browser.

But don't worry. Even without these dedicated buttons, you can still perform powerful and effective what-if analysis in Excel Online using a couple of straightforward methods.

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Method 1: The Manual Approach for Simple Scenarios

The simplest way to run what-if scenarios in Excel Online is by building a small model and manually changing the input variables. This approach is perfect for quick analysis and when you only need to compare a handful of outcomes.

Let's use the example of an online course launch. You want to see how Clicks, Conversion Rate, and Price affect your total revenue.

Step 1: Set Up Your Model

First, create a basic financial model. Designate separate cells for your inputs (variables you will change) and your outputs (formulas that calculate results). It's a good practice to color-code your input cells so you can easily see what to edit.

In your spreadsheet, set up the following:

• A2: Clicks (Enter 5000)
• A3: Conversion Rate (Enter 2%)
• A4: Price (Enter $199)
• A6: Total Sales (=A2*A3)
• A7: Total Revenue (=A6*A4)

Format the cells appropriately (percentage for conversion rate, currency for price and revenue).

Step 2: Create Your Scenarios

Now, copy and paste this model into adjacent columns to represent different scenarios: a "Worst Case," an "Expected Case," and a "Best Case."

In Column C (Worst Case):

• C2 (Clicks): 3000
• C3 (Conversion Rate): 1.0%
• C4 (Price): $149

In Column E (Expected Case):

• E2 (Clicks): 5000
• E3 (Conversion Rate): 2.0%
• E4 (Price): $199

In Column G (Best Case):

• G2 (Clicks): 8000
• G3 (Conversion Rate): 3.5%
• G4 (Price): $249

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Step 3: Calculate the Outcomes

Copy the calculation formulas from your original model into each scenario column. Excel Online is smart enough to adjust the cell references automatically.

• Copy A6 and A7 to C6 and C7.
• Copy A6 and A7 to E6 and E7.
• Copy A6 and A7 to G6 and G7.

You now have a clear, side-by-side comparison. You can instantly see that your projected revenue ranges from just $4,470 in the worst case to a whopping $69,720 in the best case. This manual method is fast, visual, and gives you a tangible feel for the range of possible outcomes.

Method 2: Using Data Tables (Created on Desktop)

Data Tables are fantastic for seeing how one or two variables impact a formula at scale. For example, you can see how 20 different interest rates and 10 different loan periods affect a monthly mortgage payment, all in one table.

As mentioned, you need to create the Data Table in the desktop version of Excel first. But once it's created and the file is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, the table is fully interactive and will update in Excel Online.

How it Works (Setup in Desktop App):

Let's plan for a simple product launch. You want to see how changing the Unit Price alone impacts your Total Profit.

1. Model Setup:

• B1 (Units Sold): 1500
• B2 (Unit Price): $50 (This is the input we will test)
• B3 (Cost per Unit): $25
• B4 (Total Revenue): =B1*B2
• B5 (Total Cost): =B1*B3
• B6 (Total Profit): =B4-B5

1. Data Table Structure:

• Enter your first price point, e.g., $40, in cell E2. Fill down other prices you want to test in cells E3, E4, E5, etc.
• In cell F1 (one cell up and to the right of your list), reference the final output formula you want to test: =B6

1. Generate the Table (in Desktop Excel):

• Select the range E1:F10
• Go to Data tab > What-If Analysis > Data Table...
• Use the "Column input cell" box to select cell B2 (original unit price)
• Click OK

Excel will fill the table with projected profit for each price. Save this file to OneDrive.

Using it in Excel Online:

Now, open that same file in Excel Online. The Data Table will be there and fully functional. If you change the Units Sold in cell B1 to 2000, the entire Data Table will recalculate to show the new profit projections. This allows for quick scenario testing even in the web-based app.

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Method 3: Using the Solver Add-in as a "Goal Seek" Alternative

Goal Seek in the desktop app is great for working backward. You specify a target value (e.g., profit of $50,000), and Goal Seek tells you what input is needed.

While Goal Seek isn't available in Excel Online, a more powerful tool is the Solver Add-in. You can use it to achieve the same goal and more.

Step 1: Install the Solver Add-in

If you don't have it, you can install it easily:

1. Go to Insert tab.
2. Click Add-ins (or Office Add-ins).
3. Search for "Solver" and click Add.
4. Once added, Solver appears in the Data tab.

Step 2: Use Solver to Find Your Input

Using the product launch model from Method 2:

• The current profit is $37,500.
• Goal: Find the Unit Price needed for total profit to be $50,000.

Steps:

1. Open Solver from the Data tab.
2. Set Objective: select cell B6 (profit).
3. To: choose "Value Of" and enter 50000.
4. By Changing Variable Cells: select cell B2 (unit price).
5. Click Solve.

Solver will adjust B2 to meet your target profit—say, $58.33—to reach $50,000. This makes it quick and accurate to find required inputs.

Final Thoughts

Mastering what-if analysis shifts your approach from reactive reporting to proactive, strategic forecasting. Even without all desktop tools, Excel Online allows robust scenario planning through manual models, Data Tables, and Solver.

For complex, multi-source data analysis—like integrating Shopify sales, Facebook ads spend, and Google Analytics traffic—modern analytics tools are invaluable. At Graphed, we've built a platform that connects your data automatically. Instead of manual models or CSV exports, you can ask questions in plain English—"Model our revenue if ad spend increases by 15% but CPC rises by 5%"—and we generate the visualization and scenario analysis instantly, saving you hours of spreadsheet work.