In Excel: use =LINEST(known_ys, known_xs, TRUE, TRUE) — it returns the regression coefficients as an array, plus R², standard errors and the other statistics when stats is TRUE.
On this page8
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | required / optional | Description |
|---|---|---|
known_ys | required | The outcomes being modelled. |
known_xs | optional | One or more columns of predictors. |
const | optional | FALSE forces the intercept to zero. |
stats | optional | TRUE returns the full diagnostic block including R² and standard errors. |
Related functions
Select a cell with several empty rows and columns beneath and to the right.
Type =LINEST( and select the y column, then the block of x columns.
Add , TRUE, TRUE to fit an intercept and return the diagnostics.
Press Enter in Excel 365, or select a 5-row block and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter in older versions.
Need it as an auditable file?
Ships inside the linked template — formula-driven, unlocked, audit-ready.
What this does
LINEST is Excel's full least-squares regression in a single function. With the fourth argument set to TRUE it returns a block of diagnostics rather than just coefficients: R², standard errors for each coefficient, the F statistic and the degrees of freedom. Two things surprise everyone the first time. The coefficients come back in reverse order, with the last predictor leftmost and the intercept at the far right. And it accepts several predictor columns, which makes it a genuine multiple regression without the Analysis ToolPak. In Excel 365 the block spills; older versions need a selected range and Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. For “linest excel formula”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected formula change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. That is what makes a calculation you can defend to a CFO or an auditor useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
A worked example
Sales in D2:D100 modelled on spend in B2:B100 and headcount in C2:C100: =LINEST(D2:D100, B2:C100, TRUE, TRUE) spills a five-row block. The top row holds the coefficients right-to-left (headcount, spend, intercept) and the third row's first cell is R². For a single predictor, SLOPE and INTERCEPT are far easier to read. LINEST is a complete regression without a add-in, which matters whenever the model has to live in the workbook rather than in a separate tool. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
If you are in Google Sheets rather than Excel, the good news is that the formula shown here is identical and the workflow barely changes — menus sit across the top instead of in a ribbon, and a few function names differ slightly, but anything you build here moves across with little or no rework. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, repeat the steps once in your own workbook — doing it yourself is what turns a copied answer into something you remember. The short version of “linest excel formula”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.
Common mistakes
- Reading the coefficients left to right — they are returned in reverse predictor order, with the intercept last.
- Omitting the final TRUE and then looking for R², which is only returned when stats is switched on.
- Adding predictors without checking they are not collinear, which makes individual coefficients unstable and misleading.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read the LINEST output?
Row 1 holds the coefficients in reverse order of the x columns, with the intercept rightmost. Row 2 holds their standard errors, and row 3 column 1 is R².
Can LINEST do multiple regression?
Yes — pass several adjacent columns as known_xs and it fits them all.
Where is R² in the output?
The first cell of the third row, and only when the fourth argument is TRUE.