A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

Ever encountered a situation when you are working on a spreadsheet created by someone else? Not sure about the cells being referred to in the formula?

When writing, editing, or auditing Excel formulas you will have to view and access the referenced cells within a formula argument.

In this article, we will go through the Excel formula to go to a specific cell using the following methods:

  • Go To Functionality
  • Trace Precedents
  • Trace Dependents

There is a cool tip where you can jump to the referenced cell or range within the formula and make your changes.

Excel go to cell in formula is helpful if you want to check how the formula works or to make any changes to the formula.

Go To Functionality

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

Follow the step-by-step tutorial on Excel formula to go to a specific cell with an Excel worksheet to practice along:

STEP 1: Double click inside your Excel formula

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 2: Select the formula argument that you want to edit with your mouse

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 3: Press F5 which will bring up the Go To dialogue box and press OK

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 4:This will take you to the referenced cell/range

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 5: You can select the new range with your mouse and also make any changes to the formula bar

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 6: Press Enter and your formula is updated

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

This is how you can use the go to cell in Excel!

You can even use a simpler technique to Excel jump to cell in formula using Trace Dependents and Trace Precedents in Excel.

Let’s look at these two features in detail!

Trace Precedents

Precedent cells are the cells that are referred to by a formula.

In the example below, cell F6 contains a formula that is getting value from another cell. You can use the Trace Precedents to take you to the cell from which you are getting the value.

Let’s see it can be done!

STEP 1:Select the cell F6.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 2:Go to Formulas > Trace Precedents.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

This will create arrows on your sheet that will indicate which cells affect the value of the currently selected cell.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

To remove these arrows, Go to Formulas > Remove Arrows.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

You can even use a keyboard shortcut to highlight the precedent cells.

STEP 1:Select the cell F9.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 2:Press Ctrl + [. This will highlight all the cells mentioned in the formula.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

You can press Tab to move between these cells.

Another cool tip is that this feature also works when the formula contains a link to an external workbook and that workbook is closed. When you press Ctrl + [, it will open the closed workbook and take you to that specific cell.

Let’s look at another example for this.

STEP 1:Select a cell that contains a formula linked to a different worksheet or an external workbook.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 2:Go to Formulas > Trace Precedents.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

Since the dependent cells are placed in a different worksheet, it will be indicated with a black dash line and arrowhead pointed to a small picture.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 3: Double click on the dashed line to open the dialog box that lists the dependent cells.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 4: Select the cell from the list and press OK. Excel will take you to the referred cell.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

Trace Dependents

Dependent cells can be used to show the cells that are affected by the active cells. To see the cells that are dependent on the active cells, follow the steps below:

STEP 1: Select the cell you want to analyze.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 2: Go to Formulas > Trace Dependents or Press Ctrl +].

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

This will highlight the dependent cell with blue arrows.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

STEP 3:Click on Trace Dependents again to show more cells that are related to the active cells.

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

HELPFUL RESOURCE:

Make sure to download our FREE PDF on the 333 Excel keyboard Shortcuts here:

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

You can learn more about how to use Excel by viewing our FREE Excel webinar training on Formulas, Pivot Tables, Power Query, and Macros & VBA!

A is the cell containing a formula that references the value or formula in the selected cell

About The Author

John Michaloudis

John Michaloudis is the Founder & Chief Inspirational Officer of MyExcelOnline!

What is the formula to reference a cell?

Click the cell in which you want to enter the formula. , type = (equal sign). Do one of the following, select the cell that contains the value you want or type its cell reference. You can refer to a single cell, a range of cells, a location in another worksheet, or a location in another workbook.

What cells are referenced by a formula in another cell?

Precedent cells — cells that are referred to by a formula in another cell.

How do you reference a cell based on a value in another cell?

Type an equals (=) sign in the cell. Click the cell in the same worksheet you want to make a reference to, and the cell name is automatically entered after the equal sign. Press Enter to create the cell reference.

What is the formula for adding the value in the cell called as?

The SUM function adds values. You can add individual values, cell references or ranges or a mix of all three. For example: =SUM(A2:A10) Adds the values in cells A2:10.