Using Formulas and Functions

  • 6/15/2010

Checking Formula References

When you create a formula that draws values from several different places in your workbook—or from other workbooks—it can be difficult to see what’s going wrong if your formula isn’t producing the expected results. Excel helps you locate a cell’s precedents (the cells the formula uses in its calculation) and dependents (the cells that depend on the current cell to calculate their own values). To help you find what you need to check your formulas, Excel groups all the tools you need on the Formula Auditing group on the Formulas tab.

Find Cell Precedents and Dependents

  1. Click the cell you want to examine.

  2. Click the Formulas tab.

  3. Using the controls in the Formula Auditing group, follow either of these steps:

    • Click Trace Precedents.

    • Click Trace Dependents.

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Remove Tracer Arrows

  1. Click the Formulas tab.

  2. Click the Remove Arrows down arrow, and follow any of these steps:

    • Click Remove Arrows to remove all arrows.

    • Click Remove Precedent Arrows to remove the precedent arrows.

    • Click Remove Dependent Arrows to remove the dependent arrows.

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