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See where a number actually comes from
AltM, PEditing & referencesDraw arrows from a cell to its inputs — and to everything that depends on it.
Difficulty
1What it does
The first thing to do with a model somebody else built is find out what feeds what. Trace Precedents draws an arrow from the selected cell to every cell it reads; Trace Dependents draws arrows the other way, to everything that would break if you changed it. The second one is the safety check nobody runs before deleting a column. A dashed arrow with a little sheet icon means the reference is on another tab — double-click it to jump there.
2The shortcut
- 1Select the cell and press
Alt + M, thenPfor precedents (Dfor dependents). - 2Press again to go a level deeper — the arrows chain back through the calculation.
- 3
Alt + M, thenA, thenAremoves all the arrows.
3Before → after
Press the shortcut to play it on a sample sheet.
Selected: B4 — gross profit
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revenue | 486,000 |
| 2 | COGS | 281,100 |
| 3 | (blank) | |
| 4 | Gross profit | =B1-B2 |
| 5 | Gross margin % | =B4/B1 |
| 6 | Bonus accrual | =B4*0.05 |
Precedents show what feeds this cell. Dependents show what would break if you changed it, which is the one nobody runs.
4When you use it
- Understand an inherited model before you touch it.
- Check what depends on a column before deleting it.
- Find where a total is quietly picking up a hard-typed number.
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