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How to Use Excel Formula Auditing Tools
Edited 3 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team
Microsoft ExcelData ManagementMicrosoft OfficeSpreadsheetOffice ToolsProductivityBusinessFunctionsAuditing
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Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for performing calculations with various functions and formulas. When working with complex spreadsheets that contain lots of formulas, it can be challenging to make sure everything is working correctly. This is where Excel's formula auditing tools come in handy. These tools help you understand, check, and correct the formulas in your workbook. In this guide, we'll explore how to effectively use the formula auditing tools in Excel to increase the robustness of your worksheet.
Understanding formula auditing in Excel
Formula auditing in Excel provides various tools that help you trace and debug formulas. This set of tools is particularly useful for checking dependencies between cells and understanding how data flows through your worksheet.
Accessing the formula auditing tool
To start using Excel's formula auditing tools, you need to go to the Formulas tab on the ribbon. The Formula Auditing group includes several tools, each of which serves a unique purpose for tracking and resolving formula-related problems.
1. Finding precedents
The Trace Precedents feature helps you see which cells are affecting or contributing to the value of the selected cell. This is useful for understanding what data is being used in a formula.
Example: Suppose cell A1 contains the formula
=B1 + C1. By selecting cell A1 and using Trace Precedent, arrows will point to cells B1 and C1, showing that they contribute to the calculation in cell A1.2. Find dependents
Trace Dependents is used to identify which cells are affected or dependent on the value of the selected cell. This is helpful in understanding the impact of changes to a specific cell.
Example: If the formula
=B1 * D1 located in cell E1 is used in cell B1, selecting B1 and using Trace Dependents will show an arrow pointing to E1.3. Show formulas
Show Formulas is a tool that lets you see all the formulas in your worksheet at once. Instead of showing the results of a formula, it displays the formula itself, making it easier to audit and correct them.
Example: In a sheet, each cell may show a calculated value like 100, 200, etc., but by clicking Show Formulas, you will see the built-in formulas like
=A1+B1, =C1*D1, etc.4. Evaluation formula
Evaluate a Formula is a step-by-step tool that lets you break down and examine each part of a formula to see how Excel calculates the resulting value. It's especially useful for complex formulas.
Example: For a formula like
=IF(SUM(A1:A3)>100, "Yes", "No"), the Evaluate formula will help you see the calculation of SUM(A1:A3) before deciding the final output.5. Error checking
The Error Checking tool helps you identify errors in the formulas in your spreadsheet. It provides suggestions for improvement and helps ensure that your workbook is error-free.
Example: If your sheet has a division by zero error, using Error Checking will highlight the erroneous cell and suggest possible ways to fix the problem.
6. Watch window
The Watch window is especially helpful for large spreadsheets. It lets you monitor important cells and their formulas without having to navigate to different sheets or scroll through large datasets.
Example: Add important cells, such as overall profit or other key metrics, to the Watch window so you can see changes in real time while you work elsewhere in the workbook.
7. Circular reference
Circular references occur when a formula directly or indirectly references its own cell, potentially creating an endless loop. Excel highlights such errors, allowing you to address and correct them.
Example: If cell A1 contains the formula
=A1 + 1, it will be highlighted as a circular reference because it refers to itself.A step-by-step guide to using the formula auditing tool
Enable formula auditing
- Open Excel and go to the worksheet that contains the formulas.
- Click the Formulas tab.
- Find a Formula Auditing group that has the tools you need.
Detecting cell relationships
Use Trace Precedents or Trace Dependents to make dependencies visible:
- Select the cell you want to analyze.
- Click Trace Precedents or Trace Dependents as needed.
- Follow the blue arrows to view linked cells.
Displaying and evaluating formulas
- Click Show Formulas to view all formulas at once.
- Use the evaluation formula to step through a specific step:
- Select the cell that contains the formula you want to evaluate.
- Click Evaluate Formula and press Evaluate to start the process.
- Keep pressing Evaluate to see each part of the formula.
Dealing with errors
- In the Formula Auditing group, click Error Checking.
- Review the errors flagged by Excel.
- Follow the suggestions or fix the errors manually.
Using the watch window
- Select the cells you want to monitor.
- In the Formulas tab, click Watch Window.
- In the Watch Window dialog box, click Add Watch.
- Confirm your selection and click Add.
- Now you can monitor these cells even while you work on other parts of the workbook.
Detecting and resolving circular references
- Excel will notify you at the bottom of the worksheet if there are any circular references.
- Click on the error message for more information.
- Manually adjust your formulas to remove cyclical dependencies.
Conclusion
Excel's formula auditing tools are invaluable for managing complex spreadsheets, allowing you to ensure that your calculations are accurate and your data is properly linked. By understanding how to use these tools effectively, you can troubleshoot problems and improve the integrity and functioning of your Excel workbooks. Regular use of these tools will increase your efficiency and confidence when working with complex data sets.
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