Question

Excel: Find a circular reference - this is how it works

Answer 1

How to find and correct circular references in Excel
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
quick start Guide

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This article will show you how to find and correct circular references in Excel..

If you carry out calculations or use references in Excel and receive error messages, it may be because there are so-called circular references. These usually occur when cells that contain the formula for the calculation were incorrectly included in the calculation itself. An infinite loop then occurs, in which the calculation is carried out again and again. In this article, we'll show you how to find and correct circular references.

How to find and correct circular references in Excel

Follow our step-by-step instructions or take a look at the quick start guide .

1st step:

If you create or open an Excel worksheet and there is a circular reference there, it is displayed in the status bar of Excel at the bottom of the window. In this case, the circular reference is in cell F3. If you create a formula yourself and include the cell containing the formula itself in the calculation, you will immediately see an error message that a circular reference has occurred. In this case, you can correct the circular reference immediately.

2nd step:

Alternatively, you can also find circular references by the menu " formulas " to " Error-checking " and then " circular references click". All existing circular references are listed there.

3rd step:

Once you have located all circular references, you can correct the errors by excluding the relevant cell from the formula . In our case this concerns cell F3. So just remove the cell names from the brackets and write the cell name that precedes the cell into it.

quick start Guide

1. Open your workbook in Excel. Now check whether you have created tables with calculations and locate them.
2. Circular references are easy to find. The status bar at the bottom left of the window shows existing problems or errors through circular references.
3. There is also an error section in Excel. Navigate to it via " File "> " Formulas "> " Error Checking ".
4. All existing circular references are also displayed there under " Circular references ".
5. To correct circular references, you have to navigate to the displayed cell and select it . The formula is now displayed in the entry line for formulas. Remove the cell from the parenthesis in which the circular reference occurred and replace the value with that of the previous cell.

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