Learn Excel from YouTube in 7 days
Most people use Excel as a grid to type numbers into, then copy and paste the rest by hand. This week turns it into a tool that does the work: formulas that total, lookups that find, filters that update themselves, and a PivotTable that summarizes a whole table in seconds. Each day is one short lesson from a working Excel teacher, followed by one thing you build in your own workbook, so that on Day 7 you open a file that actually answers questions.
Day 1 free. No credit card.
What you’ll have at the end
- One workbook with formulas, a PivotTable and a dynamic filter you built yourself.
- A lookup that finds a price or a name in a table without scrolling.
- A short list of the functions you now use every week, with one example each.
Sponsored
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Get a quoteThe problem this week fixes
Hours of tutorials watched, spreadsheets still filled in by hand.
Who it is for
For: People who open Excel every week and want it to do more of the work.
Not for: Anyone looking for macros or VBA, which this week does not cover.
Your 7-day program
One video a day, about 87 minutes of video in total, and one thing to make after each.
- 1
Day 1 — How do formulas and functions work in Excel?
The lesson separates formulas from functions and walks through SUM, AVERAGE, IF and the difference between relative and absolute references. Build a small expense sheet with a total, an average and one IF flag, and keep a tax rate in a single cell that your formulas point to with an absolute reference. Save the file.
Excel Formulas and Functions - Tutorial for BeginnersKevin Stratvert · 11:43
- 2
Day 2 — How do you summarize a table with a PivotTable?
Create a PivotTable from a clean table, arrange the rows and values, add a slicer and refresh it after changing the data. Turn Day 1's sheet into a table of at least twenty rows, then build a PivotTable of totals by category and month. Keep the slicer on the sheet.
Excel PivotTables Made Easy in 2026 (+ What's Changed!)MyOnlineTrainingHub · 16:47
- 3
Day 3 — How do you total only what matches with SUMIF?
Learn to add up values that meet a condition. In your workbook, write a small summary block that uses SUMIF to total three categories, then compare each result with the matching figure in your PivotTable. If they differ, find out why before you move on.
SUMIF Function in Excel TutorialKevin Stratvert · 11:26
- 4
Day 4 — Which functions will you use every week?
A tour of fifteen functions that working professionals rely on. Pick the five you did not know, use each one once in your workbook on real data, and write a one-line note next to each saying what it does. The note is the proof that you understood it.
15 Excel Functions Every Professional Should Know in 2026MyOnlineTrainingHub · 14:06
- 5
Day 5 — How do you look up a value with XLOOKUP?
XLOOKUP finds a value in one column and returns the matching value from another. Add a small price list to your workbook and use XLOOKUP to fill a price column from a product code. Test it with a code that does not exist and decide what the cell should say.
How to Use XLOOKUP in Excel – Step-by-Step Tutorial for BeginnersKevin Stratvert · 8:18
- 6
Day 6 — How do you build a dynamic filter with FILTER?
The FILTER function returns every row that matches a condition and updates when the data changes. Add a cell where you type a category, and a FILTER formula that lists the matching rows beneath it. Change the category three times and check that the list follows.
Using the Excel FILTER Function to Create Dynamic FiltersTechnology for Teachers and Students · 8:43
- 7
Day 7 — How do INDEX and MATCH compare, and what is your final workbook?
INDEX MATCH is the older way to look something up, and you will meet it in files other people built. Recreate one of your XLOOKUP formulas with INDEX MATCH, then clean the workbook so that the pivot, the lookups and the filter are on labelled sheets. Save it as your finished file.
INDEX MATCH Excel TutorialKevin Stratvert · 15:29
Creators you will learn from
8–17 minutes of video per day. Level: Beginner.
FAQ
Do I need the latest version of Excel?
Several of the functions this week, such as XLOOKUP and FILTER, are in Microsoft 365 and recent versions of Excel. If yours is older, the lessons on formulas, PivotTables, SUMIF and INDEX MATCH still apply, and you can swap the other two days for the closest equivalent.
Can I follow along with Google Sheets instead?
The ideas carry over, and Google Sheets has its own versions of most of these functions. The lessons are recorded in Excel, so the menus will look different, and the PivotTable day is the one where the two products differ most.
What do I submit as proof each day?
The workbook itself, saved after the day's task, or a screenshot of the new part. By Day 7 you have one file that contains every step.
Is this enough to use Excel at work?
It covers the formulas and tools that come up most often in everyday spreadsheets. It does not cover charts, macros or Power Query, which are good next steps once the basics feel automatic.
I already know SUM and IF. Should I skip Day 1?
You can start on the first day that feels new. The path still gives you the full week, and the Day 1 task is a quick one if you already know the material.