Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Tracing Precedent Cells.

Tracing Precedent Cells

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021


2

Excel allows you to display precedent cells in much the same way as you do dependent cells, as described in a previous tip. All you need to do is select the cell whose precedents you want to see, and then click the Trace Precedents tool on the Formulas tab of the ribbon (in the Formula Auditing group). Excel graphically displays arrows that show the relationship between the selected cell and any other cells in the worksheet. If you click on the tool again, the next level of precedent cells are displayed.

Precedent arrows are removed either by clicking on the Remove Arrows tool or by clicking the down-arrow to the right of the Remove Arrows tool and choosing one of the options there.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8627) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Tracing Precedent Cells.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Where is Toolbar Customization Information Stored?

When you make a change to one of Excel's toolbars, do you know where that change is stored? This tip explains the name ...

Discover More

Backing Up Custom Dictionaries

The custom dictionary used in Excel contains the information you decide relative to spelling. After a while, you might ...

Discover More

Getting the Name of the Worksheet Into a Cell

Excel allows you to change the names assigned to the worksheets in a workbook. If you want to have those names appear in ...

Discover More

Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Is It Worth Converting Data to a Table?

Excel allows you to work with your data in many different ways. One way is to convert your data to a structured table. ...

Discover More

Understanding Add-Ins

The primary way to extend what Excel can do is through the use of add-ins. This tip explains what they are and the ...

Discover More

Using Copilot

It seems that every company is in a race to add AI capabilities to their products. Microsoft is no exception, and that is ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 - 5?

2023-10-28 23:11:30

Niefer

Precedents: Ctrl+[
Dependents: Ctrl+]


2023-10-28 11:40:20

J. Woolley

Re. dependent cells, see https://excelribbon.tips.net/T008626_Tracing_Dependent_Cells.html
For more on these subjects, see https://excelribbon.tips.net/T008271_Accessing_Dependent_and_Precedent_Information.html


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.