Solver in Excel is an add-in tool used for optimization: it finds the best (maximum, minimum, or specific) value of a target formula by changing selected cells under given constraints.

What is Solver in Excel?

  • Solver is a what-if analysis add-in that does mathematical optimization inside Excel.
  • You give it:
    • An objective cell (a formula you want to maximize, minimize, or set to a value).
* Variable cells (the inputs Solver is allowed to change).

* Constraints (rules or limits those cells must obey, like “must be ≥ 0” or “must be whole numbers”).
  • Solver then tries many combinations of the variable cells to find the best solution that satisfies all constraints.

Example: You can ask, “What mix of products maximizes profit, given limited budget and capacity?” and Solver will calculate the optimal quantities.

What can you use it for?

Common use cases include:

  • Maximizing profit or revenue
  • Minimizing cost, time, or waste
  • Production planning with limited resources
  • Budget allocation under spending limits
  • Loan or investment planning to hit a target value

In short, when you have a goal, some inputs you can change, and rules you must follow, Solver helps Excel find the optimal answer.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.