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You can display both precedent cells (precedents: Cells that are referred to by a formula in another cell. For example, if cell D10 contains the formula =B5, cell B5 is a precedent to cell D10.) and dependent cells (dependents: Cells that contain formulas that refer to other cells. For example, if cell D10 contains the formula =B5, cell D10 is a dependent of cell B5.) of formulas (formula: A sequence of values, cell references, names, functions, or operators in a cell that together produce a new value. A formula always begins with an equal sign (=).).

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab.
2. Check that Show all or Show placeholders is selected under Objects.
3. On the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Show Formula Auditing Toolbar.
4. Do one of the following.

   Trace cells that provide data to a formula (precedents)

   1. Select the cell that contains the formula for which you want to find precedent cells.
   2. To display a tracer arrow (tracer arrows: Arrows that show the relationship between the active cell and its related cells. Tracer arrows are blue when pointing from a cell that provides data to another cell, and red if a cell contains an error value, such as #DIV/0!.) to each cell that directly provides data to the active cell, click Trace Precedents on the Formula Auditing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Toolbars tab.).

   3. To identify the next level of cells that provide data to the active cell, click Trace Precedents again.

   4. To remove tracer arrows one level at a time, starting with the precedent cell farthest away from the active cell, click Remove Precedent Arrows . To remove another level of tracer arrows, click the button again.

   Trace formulas that reference a particular cell (dependents)

   1. Select the cell for which you want to identify the dependent cells.
   2. To display a tracer arrow (tracer arrows: Arrows that show the relationship between the active cell and its related cells. Tracer arrows are blue when pointing from a cell that provides data to another cell, and red if a cell contains an error value, such as #DIV/0!.) to each cell that is dependent on the active cell, click Trace Dependents on the Formula Auditing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Toolbars tab.).

   3. To identify the next level of cells that depend on the active cell, click Trace Dependents again.

   4. To remove tracer arrows one level at a time, starting with the dependent cell farthest away from the active cell, click Remove Dependent Arrows . To remove another level of tracer arrows, click the button again.

5. To remove all tracer arrows (tracer arrows: Arrows that show the relationship between the active cell and its related cells. Tracer arrows are blue when pointing from a cell that provides data to another cell, and red if a cell contains an error value, such as #DIV/0!.) on the worksheet, click Remove All Arrows on the Formula Auditing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Toolbars tab.).

Note  Red arrows show cells that cause errors. If the selected cell is referenced by a cell on another worksheet or workbook, a black arrow points from the selected cell to a worksheet icon .The other workbook must be open before Microsoft Excel can trace these dependencies, however.

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