How each check works
How KoreDefo's Scan decides each item. The same text appears in the add-in's Settings tab.
Scan always checks the whole workbook (every sheet). Format, Fix fonts and Color-code all ask whether to run on all sheets or this sheet only when you press them.
Fonts
Checked automatically: cells, shapes, text boxes, WordArt, charts (titles, axes, legends), PivotTables, grouped shapes, headers and footers.
Not checked automatically, but you can click an item to jump to it and check it by hand: comments, notes, SmartArt, form controls, ActiveX controls, slicers, timelines.
| Check | How it decides |
|---|---|
| Cell fonts | Checks that the font of every cell with a value is in the allowed fonts list (Settings). Cells with no font set are judged by the workbook's default font |
| Shape, text box and WordArt fonts | Checks that shape, text box and WordArt fonts are consistent (Excel's API can't tell these three apart, so they are one item) |
| Chart text fonts | Checks the fonts of chart titles, axis labels, data labels and legends |
| Header/footer fonts | Checks the fonts used in print headers and footers |
| PivotTable fonts | Finds PivotTables whose cells override the PivotTable style's font |
| Fonts inside grouped shapes | Looks inside grouped shapes, level by level, and checks their fonts |
| Other objects (comments, notes, SmartArt, form controls, ActiveX controls, slicers, timelines) Fonts can't be checked automatically - click an item to jump to it and check by hand. | Lists where comments, notes, SmartArt, form controls, ActiveX controls, slicers and timelines are. Excel's API gives no access to their fonts, so they can't be checked automatically, but clicking an item jumps to it (selects the cell, or scrolls to the shape or slicer) so you can check and fix the font by hand |
Cells
| Check | How it decides |
|---|---|
| Merged cells | Each record should sit on one row. Merged cells get in the way of sorting, filtering and charting |
| Numbers stored as text | Numbers stored as text are skipped by totals and sorting. Flags cells holding just an amount that has a currency mark ($, €, £, ₹, ¥, 円), a minus or ▲/△ sign, or thousands separators. Cells with other words mixed in (sentences, labels) and plain digits with no sign or separator (2026, 0123, 0.25) are not flagged |
| Zero shown as a dash | Among number cells using a thousands-separator format, finds formats that don't show zero as "-". Formats that do, such as Accounting, are not flagged |
Sheets & workbook
| Check | How it decides |
|---|---|
| List of all sheet names | Lists every sheet in the workbook (for reference during review) |
| Default sheet names left in place | Finds sheets still named as created, such as "Sheet1" and "Sheet2" |
| Hidden sheets | Finds hidden sheets |
| Hidden columns | Finds hidden columns within the range that holds data. Columns hidden because their group is collapsed are not flagged; columns hidden by hand inside an expanded group are |
| Hidden rows | Finds hidden rows within the range that holds data. Rows hidden because their group is collapsed are not flagged; rows hidden by hand inside an expanded group, or by a filter, are |
| Sheets with an active filter | Having filter buttons alone doesn't count. Finds sheets where a filter is actually applied and some rows are hidden |
| Cells with error values | Finds cells whose formula results in an error (#N/A, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #VALUE!, #NAME? and so on). "#N/A" typed in as text is not flagged |
| Links to other workbooks | Finds cell formulas that refer to other workbooks. Links left in defined names, charts, data validation or conditional formatting are not covered (check them under Data > Workbook Links in Excel) |
| Hidden defined names | Finds defined names hidden from Name Manager (often raised as an information-leak risk) |
| Author / last-modified-by information left in the file | Shows the author and last-modified-by names saved in the file. Excel records these automatically, so almost every file shows them. Remove them before sending under File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document |
| Volatile functions | Finds formulas that use OFFSET, INDIRECT, NOW, TODAY, RAND, RANDBETWEEN, CELL or INFO |
Color coding
Only cells holding numbers are checked (text cells are not). On sheets that don't follow the color-coding rule (blue = input, black = formula, green = link to another sheet), skip these findings or turn the checks off in Settings. Color-code all lets you choose "This sheet only" when you run it.
| Check | How it decides |
|---|---|
| Blue text that contains a formula | Finds blue cells (#0000FF, #0070C0) that contain a formula |
| Black text that contains a hard-coded value | Finds black cells (#000000) that hold a number that isn't a formula. Dates count as numbers |
| Green text that isn't a link to another sheet | Finds green cells (#008000, #00B050) whose formula doesn't refer to another sheet. Cross-sheet formulas that aren't green are not flagged |