Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
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, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Tracing Precedent Cells.
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!
Some worksheets are better understood through the spoken word or with musical accompaniment. Sound files can be easily ...
Discover MoreThe Analysis ToolPak is used to add some very handy capabilities to Excel. If you don't have it installed, and you can't ...
Discover MoreThe auditing tools provided in Excel can provide some very helpful information about how your formulas and data are ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
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
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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:
Comments