Links in excel workbook

Find links (external references) in a workbook

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Linking to other workbooks is a very common task in Excel, but sometimes you might find yourself with a workbook that has links you can’t find even though Excel tells you they exist. There is no automatic way to find all external references that are used in a workbook, however, there are several manual methods you can use to find them. You need to look in formulas, defined names, objects (like text boxes or shapes), chart titles, and chart data series.

Any Excel workbook you’ve linked to will have that workbook’s filename in the link with its .xl* file extension (like .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm), so a recommended method is to look for all references to the .xl partial file extension. If you’re linking to another source, you’ll need to determine the best search term to use.

Find links used in formulas

  1. Press Ctrl+F to launch the Find and Replace dialog.

  2. Click Options.

  3. In the Find what box, enter .xl.

  4. In the Within box, click Workbook.

  5. In the Look in box, click Formulas.

  6. Click Find All.

  7. In the list box that is displayed, look in the Formula column for formulas that contain .xl. In this case, Excel found multiple instances of Budget Master.xlsx.

    Find and Replace dialog

  8. To select the cell with an external reference, click the cell address link for that row in the list box.

    Tip: Click any column header to sort the column, and group all of the external references together.

  1. On the Formulas tab, in the Defined Names group, click Name Manager.

  2. Check each entry in the list, and look in the Refers To column for external references. External references contain a reference to another workbook, such as [Budget.xlsx].

    Name Manager dialog

    Tips: 

    • Click any column header to sort the column, and group all of the external references together.

    • You can group multiple items with the Shift or Ctrl keys and Left-click if you want to delete multiple items at once.

  1. Press Ctrl+G, the shortcut for the Go To dialog, then click Special > Objects > OK. This will select all objects on the active worksheet.

    Go To > Special dialog

  2. Press the Tab key to move between each of the selected objects, and then look in the formula bar Button image for a reference to another workbook, such as [Budget.xlsx].

    Shape selected to show link name in the Formula bar

  1. Click the chart title on the chart that you want to check.

  2. In the formula bar Button image, look for a reference to another workbook, such as [Budget.xls].

  1. Select the chart that you want to check.

  2. On the Layout tab, in the Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the Chart Elements box, and then click the data series that you want to check.

    Select a Series option in Chart options > Format > Current Selection

  3. In the formula bar Button image, look for a reference to another workbook, such as [Budget.xls] in the SERIES function.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Fix broken links

Break a link to an external reference in Excel

Control when external references (links) are updated

Need more help?

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For quick access to related information in another file or on a web page, you can insert a hyperlink in a worksheet cell. You can also insert links in specific chart elements.

Note: Most of the screen shots in this article were taken in Excel 2016. If you have a different version your view might be slightly different, but unless otherwise noted, the functionality is the same.

  1. On a worksheet, click the cell where you want to create a link.

    You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.

    • On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Link Hyperlink button.

    You can also right-click the cell or graphic and then click Link on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  2. Under Link to, click Create New Document.

  3. In the Name of new document box, type a name for the new file.

    Tip: To specify a location other than the one shown under Full path, you can type the new location preceding the name in the Name of new document box, or you can click Change to select the location that you want and then click OK.

  4. Under When to edit, click Edit the new document later or Edit the new document now to specify when you want to open the new file for editing.

  5. In the Text to display box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  6. To display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link, click ScreenTip, type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box, and then click OK.

  1. On a worksheet, click the cell where you want to create a link.

    You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.

    • On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Link Hyperlink button.

    You can also right-click the cell or object and then click Link on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  2. Under Link to, click Existing File or Web Page.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • To select a file, click Current Folder, and then click the file that you want to link to.

      You can change the current folder by selecting a different folder in the Look in list.

    • To select a web page, click Browsed Pages and then click the web page that you want to link to.

    • To select a file that you recently used, click Recent Files, and then click the file that you want to link to.

    • To enter the name and location of a known file or web page that you want to link to, type that information in the Address box.

    • To locate a web page, click Browse the Web Browse the Web button, open the web page that you want to link to, and then switch back to Excel without closing your browser.

  4. If you want to create a link to a specific location in the file or on the web page, click Bookmark, and then double-click the bookmark that you want.

    Note: The file or web page that you are linking to must have a bookmark.

  5. In the Text to display box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  6. To display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link, click ScreenTip, type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box, and then click OK.

To link to a location in the current workbook or another workbook, you can either define a name for the destination cells or use a cell reference.

  1. To use a name, you must name the destination cells in the destination workbook.

    How to name a cell or a range of cells

    1. Select the cell, range of cells, or nonadjacent selections that you want to name.

    2. Click the Name box at the left end of the formula bar Button image.

      Example of Name box

      Button image Name box

    3. In the Name box, type the name for the cells, and then press Enter.

      Note: Names can’t contain spaces and must begin with a letter.

  2. On a worksheet of the source workbook, click the cell where you want to create a link.

    You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.

    • On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Link Hyperlink button.

    You can also right-click the cell or object and then click Link on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  3. Under Link to, do one of the following:

    • To link to a location in your current workbook, click Place in This Document.

    • To link to a location in another workbook, click Existing File or Web Page, locate and select the workbook that you want to link to, and then click Bookmark.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • In the Or select a place in this document box, under Cell Reference, click the worksheet that you want to link to, type the cell reference in the Type in the cell reference box, and then click OK.

    • In the list under Defined Names, click the name that represents the cells that you want to link to, and then click OK.

  5. In the Text to display box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  6. To display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link, click ScreenTip, type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box, and then click OK.

You can use the HYPERLINK function to create a link that opens a document that is stored on a network server, an intranet, or the Internet. When you click the cell that contains the HYPERLINK function, Excel opens the file that is stored at the location of the link.

Syntax

HYPERLINK(link_location,friendly_name)

Link_location     is the path and file name to the document to be opened as text. Link_location can refer to a place in a document — such as a specific cell or named range in an Excel worksheet or workbook, or to a bookmark in a Microsoft Word document. The path can be to a file stored on a hard disk drive, or the path can be a universal naming convention (UNC) path on a server (in Microsoft Excel for Windows) or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) path on the Internet or an intranet.

  • Link_location can be a text string enclosed in quotation marks or a cell that contains the link as a text string.

  • If the jump specified in link_location does not exist or can’t be navigated, an error appears when you click the cell.

Friendly_name     is the jump text or numeric value that is displayed in the cell. Friendly_name is displayed in blue and is underlined. If friendly_name is omitted, the cell displays the link_location as the jump text.

  • Friendly_name can be a value, a text string, a name, or a cell that contains the jump text or value.

  • If friendly_name returns an error value (for example, #VALUE!), the cell displays the error instead of the jump text.

Examples

The following example opens a worksheet named Budget Report.xls that is stored on the Internet at the location named example.microsoft.com/report and displays the text «Click for report»:

=HYPERLINK(«http://example.microsoft.com/report/budget report.xls», «Click for report»)

The following example creates a link to cell F10 on the worksheet named Annual in the workbook Budget Report.xls, which is stored on the Internet at the location named example.microsoft.com/report. The cell on the worksheet that contains the link displays the contents of cell D1 as the jump text:

=HYPERLINK(«[http://example.microsoft.com/report/budget report.xls]Annual!F10», D1)

The following example creates a link to the range named DeptTotal on the worksheet named First Quarter in the workbook Budget Report.xls, which is stored on the Internet at the location named example.microsoft.com/report. The cell on the worksheet that contains the link displays the text «Click to see First Quarter Department Total»:

=HYPERLINK(«[http://example.microsoft.com/report/budget report.xls]First Quarter!DeptTotal», «Click to see First Quarter Department Total»)

To create a link to a specific location in a Microsoft Word document, you must use a bookmark to define the location you want to jump to in the document. The following example creates a link to the bookmark named QrtlyProfits in the document named Annual Report.doc located at example.microsoft.com:

=HYPERLINK(«[http://example.microsoft.com/Annual Report.doc]QrtlyProfits», «Quarterly Profit Report»)

In Excel for Windows, the following example displays the contents of cell D5 as the jump text in the cell and opens the file named 1stqtr.xls, which is stored on the server named FINANCE in the Statements share. This example uses a UNC path:

=HYPERLINK(«\FINANCEStatements1stqtr.xls», D5)

The following example opens the file 1stqtr.xls in Excel for Windows that is stored in a directory named Finance on drive D, and displays the numeric value stored in cell H10:

=HYPERLINK(«D:FINANCE1stqtr.xls», H10)

In Excel for Windows, the following example creates a link to the area named Totals in another (external) workbook, Mybook.xls:

=HYPERLINK(«[C:My DocumentsMybook.xls]Totals»)

In Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, the following example displays «Click here» in the cell and opens the file named First Quarter that is stored in a folder named Budget Reports on the hard drive named Macintosh HD:

=HYPERLINK(«Macintosh HD:Budget Reports:First Quarter», «Click here»)

You can create links within a worksheet to jump from one cell to another cell. For example, if the active worksheet is the sheet named June in the workbook named Budget, the following formula creates a link to cell E56. The link text itself is the value in cell E56.

=HYPERLINK(«[Budget]June!E56», E56)

To jump to a different sheet in the same workbook, change the name of the sheet in the link. In the previous example, to create a link to cell E56 on the September sheet, change the word «June» to «September.»

When you click a link to an email address, your email program automatically starts and creates an email message with the correct address in the To box, provided that you have an email program installed.

  1. On a worksheet, click the cell where you want to create a link.

    You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.

    • On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Link Hyperlink button.

    You can also right-click the cell or object and then click Link on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  2. Under Link to, click E-mail Address.

  3. In the E-mail address box, type the email address that you want.

  4. In the Subject box, type the subject of the email message.

    Note: Some web browsers and email programs may not recognize the subject line.

  5. In the Text to display box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  6. To display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link, click ScreenTip, type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box, and then click OK.

    You can also create a link to an email address in a cell by typing the address directly in the cell. For example, a link is created automatically when you type an email address, such as someone@example.com.

You can insert one or more external reference (also called links) from a workbook to another workbook that is located on your intranet or on the Internet. The workbook must not be saved as an HTML file.

  1. Open the source workbook and select the cell or cell range that you want to copy.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.

    Copy and Paste buttons on the Home tab

  3. Switch to the worksheet that you want to place the information in, and then click the cell where you want the information to appear.

  4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste Special.

  5. Click Paste Link.

    Excel creates an external reference link for the cell or each cell in the cell range.

Note: You may find it more convenient to create an external reference link without opening the workbook on the web. For each cell in the destination workbook where you want the external reference link, click the cell, and then type an equal sign (=), the URL address, and the location in the workbook. For example:

=’http://www.someones.homepage/[file.xls]Sheet1′!A1

=’ftp.server.somewhere/file.xls’!MyNamedCell

To select a hyperlink without activating the link to its destination, do one of the following:

  • Click the cell that contains the link, hold the mouse button until the pointer becomes a cross Excel selection cursor, and then release the mouse button.

  • Use the arrow keys to select the cell that contains the link.

  • If the link is represented by a graphic, hold down Ctrl, and then click the graphic.

You can change an existing link in your workbook by changing its destination, its appearance, or the text or graphic that is used to represent it.

Change the destination of a link

  1. Select the cell or graphic that contains the link that you want to change.

    Tip: To select a cell that contains a link without going to the link destination, click the cell and hold the mouse button until the pointer becomes a cross Excel selection cursor, and then release the mouse button. You can also use the arrow keys to select the cell. To select a graphic, hold down Ctrl and click the graphic.

    • On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Link. Hyperlink button

    You can also right-click the cell or graphic and then click Edit Link on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  2. In the Edit Hyperlink dialog box, make the changes that you want.

    Note: If the link was created by using the HYPERLINK worksheet function, you must edit the formula to change the destination. Select the cell that contains the link, and then click the formula bar to edit the formula.

You can change the appearance of all link text in the current workbook by changing the cell style for links.

  1. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Cell Styles.

  2. Under Data and Model, do the following:

    • To change the appearance of links that have not been clicked to go to their destinations, right-click Link, and then click Modify.

    • To change the appearance of links that have been clicked to go to their destinations, right-click Followed Link, and then click Modify.

      Note: The Link cell style is available only when the workbook contains a link. The Followed Link cell style is available only when the workbook contains a link that has been clicked.

  3. In the Style dialog box, click Format.

  4. On the Font tab and Fill tab, select the formatting options that you want, and then click OK.

    Notes: 

    • The options that you select in the Format Cells dialog box appear as selected under Style includes in the Style dialog box. You can clear the check boxes for any options that you don’t want to apply.

    • Changes that you make to the Link and Followed Link cell styles apply to all links in the current workbook. You can’t change the appearance of individual links.

  1. Select the cell or graphic that contains the link that you want to change.

    Tip: To select a cell that contains a link without going to the link destination, click the cell and hold the mouse button until the pointer becomes a cross Excel selection cursor, and then release the mouse button. You can also use the arrow keys to select the cell. To select a graphic, hold down Ctrl and click the graphic.

  2. Do one or more of the following:

    • To change the link text, click in the formula bar, and then edit the text.

    • To change the format of a graphic, right-click it, and then click the option that you need to change its format.

    • To change text in a graphic, double-click the selected graphic, and then make the changes that you want.

    • To change the graphic that represents the link, insert a new graphic, make it a link with the same destination, and then delete the old graphic and link.

  1. Right-click the hyperlink that you want to copy or move, and then click Copy or Cut on the shortcut menu.

  2. Right-click the cell that you want to copy or move the link to, and then click Paste on the shortcut menu.

By default, unspecified paths to hyperlink destination files are relative to the location of the active workbook. Use this procedure when you want to set a different default path. Each time that you create a link to a file in that location, you only have to specify the file name, not the path, in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

Follow one of the steps depending on the Excel version you are using:

  • In Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel 2010:

    1. Click the File tab.

    2. Click Info.

    3. Click Properties, and then select Advanced Properties.

      Advanced Properties

    4. In the Summary tab, in the Hyperlink base text box, type the path that you want to use.

      Note: You can override the link base address by using the full, or absolute, address for the link in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  • In Excel 2007:

    1. Click the Microsoft Office Button Office button image, click Prepare, and then click Properties.

    2. In the Document Information Panel, click Properties, and then click Advanced Properties.

      Advanced Properties

    3. Click the Summary tab.

    4. In the Hyperlink base box, type the path that you want to use.

    Note: You can override the link base address by using the full, or absolute, address for the link in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

To delete a link, do one of the following:

  • To delete a link and the text that represents it, right-click the cell that contains the link, and then click Clear Contents on the shortcut menu.

  • To delete a link and the graphic that represents it, hold down Ctrl and click the graphic, and then press Delete.

  • To turn off a single link, right-click the link, and then click Remove Link on the shortcut menu.

  • To turn off several links at once, do the following:

    1. In a blank cell, type the number 1.

    2. Right-click the cell, and then click Copy on the shortcut menu.

    3. Hold down Ctrl and select each link that you want to turn off.

      Tip: To select a cell that has a link in it without going to the link destination, click the cell and hold the mouse button until the pointer becomes a cross Excel selection cursor, and then release the mouse button.

    4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow below Paste, and then click Paste Special.

      Copy and Paste buttons on the Home tab

    5. Under Operation, click Multiply, and then click OK.

    6. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Cell Styles.

    7. Under Good, Bad, and Neutral, select Normal.

A link opens another page or file when you click it. The destination is frequently another web page, but it can also be a picture, or an email address, or a program. The link itself can be text or a picture.

When a site user clicks the link, the destination is shown in a Web browser, opened, or run, depending on the type of destination. For example, a link to a page shows the page in the web browser, and a link to an AVI file opens the file in a media player.

How links are used

You can use links to do the following:

  • Navigate to a file or web page on a network, intranet, or Internet

  • Navigate to a file or web page that you plan to create in the future

  • Send an email message

  • Start a file transfer, such as downloading or an FTP process

When you point to text or a picture that contains a link, the pointer becomes a hand Pointer in the shape of a hand, indicating that the text or picture is something that you can click.

What a URL is and how it works

When you create a link, its destination is encoded as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), such as:

http://example.microsoft.com/news.htm

file://ComputerName/SharedFolder/FileName.htm

A URL contains a protocol, such as HTTP, FTP, or FILE, a Web server or network location, and a path and file name. The following illustration defines the parts of the URL:

The four components of a URL

1. Protocol used (http, ftp, file)

2. Web server or network location

3. Path

4. File name

Absolute and relative links

An absolute URL contains a full address, including the protocol, the Web server, and the path and file name.

A relative URL has one or more missing parts. The missing information is taken from the page that contains the URL. For example, if the protocol and web server are missing, the web browser uses the protocol and domain, such as .com, .org, or .edu, of the current page.

It is common for pages on the web to use relative URLs that contain only a partial path and file name. If the files are moved to another server, any links will continue to work as long as the relative positions of the pages remain unchanged. For example, a link on Products.htm points to a page named apple.htm in a folder named Food; if both pages are moved to a folder named Food on a different server, the URL in the link will still be correct.

In an Excel workbook, unspecified paths to link destination files are by default relative to the location of the active workbook. You can set a different base address to use by default so that each time that you create a link to a file in that location, you only have to specify the file name, not the path, in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  1. On a worksheet, select the cell where you want to create a link.

  2. On the Insert tab, select Hyperlink.

    You can also right-click the cell and then select Hyperlink… on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  3. Under Display Text:, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  4. Under URL:, type the complete Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the webpage you want to link to.

  5. Select OK.

To link to a location in the current workbook, you can either define a name for the destination cells or use a cell reference.

  1. To use a name, you must name the destination cells in the workbook.

    How to define a name for a cell or a range of cells

     

    Note: In Excel for the Web, you can’t create named ranges. You can only select an existing named range from the Named Ranges control. Alternately, you can open the file in the Excel desktop app, create a named range there, and then access this option from Excel for the web.

    1. Select the cell or range of cells that you want to name.

    2. On the Name Box box at the left end of the formula bar Button image, type the name for the cells, and then press Enter.

      Note: Names can’t contain spaces and must begin with a letter.

  2. On the worksheet, select the cell where you want to create a link.

  3. On the Insert tab, select Hyperlink.

    You can also right-click the cell and then select Hyperlink… on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  4. Under Display Text:, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  5. Under Place in this document:, enter the defined name or cell reference.

  6. Select OK.

When you click a link to an email address, your email program automatically starts and creates an email message with the correct address in the To box, provided that you have an email program installed.

  1. On a worksheet, select the cell where you want to create a link.

  2. On the Insert tab, select Hyperlink.

    You can also right-click the cell and then select Hyperlink… on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  3. Under Display Text:, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

  4. Under E-mail address:, type the email address that you want.

  5. Select OK.

You can also create a link to an email address in a cell by typing the address directly in the cell. For example, a link is created automatically when you type an email address, such as someone@example.com.

You can use the HYPERLINK function to create a link to a URL.

Note: The Link_location can be a text string enclosed in quotation marks or a reference to a cell that contains the link as a text string.

To select a hyperlink without activating the link to its destination, do any of the following:

  • Select a cell by clicking it when the pointer is an arrow.

  • Use the arrow keys to select the cell that contains the link.

You can change an existing link in your workbook by changing its destination, its appearance, or the text that is used to represent it.

  1. Select the cell that contains the link that you want to change.

    Tip: To select a hyperlink without activating the link to its destination, use the arrow keys to select the cell that contains the link.

  2. On the Insert tab, select Hyperlink.

    You can also right-click the cell or graphic and then select Edit Hyperlink… on the shortcut menu, or you can press Ctrl+K.

  3. In the Edit Hyperlink dialog box, make the changes that you want.

    Note: If the link was created by using the HYPERLINK worksheet function, you must edit the formula to change the destination. Select the cell that contains the link, and then select the formula bar to edit the formula.

  1. Right-click the hyperlink that you want to copy or move, and then select Copy or Cut on the shortcut menu.

  2. Right-click the cell that you want to copy or move the link to, and then select Paste on the shortcut menu.

To delete a link, do one of the following:

  • To delete a link, select the cell and press Delete.

  • To turn off a link (delete the link but keep the text that represents it), right-click the cell and then select Remove Hyperlink.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Remove or turn off links

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Quick ways to add links to websites, files, and other cells in a Microsoft Excel workbook


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  • Link to a Location in a Workbook

    • |

  • Link to a Webpage

    • |

  • Link to Another File or Folder

    • |

  • Insert a Link to Send an Email

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  • Video

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  • Q&A

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  • Tips

Do you need to add a hyperlink in your Excel spreadsheet? You can easily create links to websites, other documents, or even other cells and sheets within the same spreadsheet. Adding a link to a cell can help users reference other sources and materials for additional information or support. This wikiHow will show you how to create and insert clickable links in your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using your Windows or Mac computer.

Things You Should Know

  • To open the Link menu, select the cell where you want your link. Click «Insert» → «Link».
  • For «Place in This Document», enter the cell location you want to link to.
  • For «Existing File or Web Page», copy and paste a URL into the «Address» field.

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  2. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 1

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    Select the cell in which you want to create your link. You can create a shortcut link in any cell in your spreadsheet.

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    Click Insert. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout.

  4. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 2

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    Click Link. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.

    • A new window will open.

  5. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 3

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    Click Place in This Document. This will be in the left menu panel, under Existing File or Web Page. You’ll be able to add a link to any cell in your workbook.

    • If you want to link to a location in a different workbook, select Existing File or Web Page’, select the workbook, and then click Bookmark.

  6. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 4

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    Enter the cell location that you want to link to. Enter a cell location, or select from defined cells or ranges.

    • To type a cell location, select the sheet from under the Cell Reference header. Then, type the specific cell (ex: B35) into the Type the cell reference field.
    • If you want to add a link to a named range, select the name of the range from the Defined Names header. If you select one of these, you won’t be able to type a location.

  7. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 5

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    Change the displayed text (optional). By default, the link’s text will be the cell that you are linking to. You can change this by typing anything you’d like into the Text to display field.[2]

    • You can click the «ScreenTip» button to change the text that appears when a user hovers their mouse cursor over the link.
    • Click OK to apply your finished link.

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    1

    Copy the website you want to link to. To add a link to a webpage, you’ll need to find the URL. This can be found in the address bar at the top of your web browser.

    • Highlight the entire URL, right-click the link, then select Copy or Copy address.
    • You can also use a keyboard shortcut.
      • On Windows, highlight the text and press CTRL + C to copy.
      • On Mac, highlight the text and press Command + C to copy.

  2. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 7

    2

    Select the cell in which you want to create your link. You can create a shortcut link in any cell in your spreadsheet.

  3. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 10

    3

    Click Insert. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout.

  4. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 8

    4

    Click Link. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.

  5. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 9

    5

    Select Existing File or Web Page. This will be the first option in the left panel.

    • If you’re using Excel 2011, select Web Page.

  6. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 10

    6

    Paste the website link into the «Address» field. You can find this at the bottom of the window. Right-click the field, then click Paste.

    • You can also use a keyboard shortcut.
      • On Windows, click the field and press CTRL + V to paste.
      • On Mac, click the field and press Command + V to paste.
    • If you’re using Excel 2011, paste the link into the «Link to» field at the top of the window.

  7. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 11

    7

    Change the text of the link (optional). By default, the link will display the full address. You can change this to any text you’d like, such as «Company Website».

    • Enter your new text in the Text to display field.
      • If you’re using Excel 2011, this is the «Display» field.
    • You can also click the «ScreenTip» button to change the text that appears when a user hovers their mouse cursor over the link.

  8. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 12

    8

    Click OK to create the link. Your link will appear in the cell you selected earlier.

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  1. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 20

    1

    Select the cell in which you want to create your link. You can add a link to a document or location on your computer or server into any cell in your spreadsheet.

  2. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 17

    2

    Click Insert. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout.

  3. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 21

    3

    Click Link. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.

    • A new window will open.

  4. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 22

    4

    Select Existing file or webpage. This will be the first option in the left panel. This option allows you to add a link to any location or document on your computer (or server) in Excel.

    • In Excel 2011 for OS X, click «Document» and then click «Select» to browse for a file on your computer.

  5. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 23

    5

    Select a folder or file to link to. The quickest way to link to a specific file or folder is to use the file browser to navigate to the one you want. You can link to a folder or a specific file.

    • Click the drop-down menu next to Look in to navigate through the folders on your computer.

  6. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 24

    6

    Type or paste an address for the file or folder (servers). You can enter the address for the file or folder instead of navigating to it with the browser. This can be especially useful for entering locations on another server.

    • To find the actual address for a local file or folder, open your Explorer window and navigate to the folder. Click the folder path at the top of the Explorer window to reveal the address, which you can then copy and paste.
    • To link to a location on a server, paste the address for the folder or location that will be accessible to the reader.

  7. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 25

    7

    Change the text that is displayed (optional). By default, the link will display the full address to the linked file or folder. You can change this by changing the text in the «Text to display» field.

  8. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 26

    8

    Click OK to create the link. You’ll see your link appear in the cell you had selected. Clicking it will open the file or folder that you specified.

    • Users of your spreadsheet will need to have access to the linked file from the same file location as used in your link. It may be more helpful to embed the file.

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  1. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 13

    1

    Select the cell in which you want to create your link. You can insert a mail link into any cell in your spreadsheet.

  2. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 14

    2

    Click Insert. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout.

  3. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 15

    3

    Click Link. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.

    • A new window will open.

  4. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 27

    4

    Select E-mail Address. This will be in the left menu panel, underneath Create New Document.

  5. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 16

    5

    Enter the email address you want to link to. Use the Email address field. You’ll see the «Text to display» field fill as you add the address. mailto: will be added to the beginning of the address automatically.

    • If you’ve entered email addresses before, you can select them under the Recently used e-mail addresses header.

  6. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 17

    6

    Enter a premade subject into the «Subject» field (optional). You can leave the link as is if you’d like, but you can set a premade subject if you want to make things easier on your users.

  7. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 18

    7

    Change the link text that will be displayed (optional). By default, the link will display mailto:address@example.com, but you can change this to whatever you’d like (ex: Contact Us).

    • Click the «Text to display» field and change the text.
    • Click the «ScreenTip» button to change the text that appears when the user hovers the mouse cursor over the link.

  8. Image titled Add Links in Excel Step 19

    8

    Click OK to insert your link. Your new email link will be created, and clicking it will open your email client or website with a new message addressed to the address you entered.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    Can a link be inserted into a jpeg file?

    Community Answer

    Yes, but you wouldn’t be able to open it.

  • Question

    How can I create a link that will add all weekly totals together so I have an annual total at the end of the year?

    Community Answer

    A macro would suit you better than a link. Use one to create a formula to add all the weeks.

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  • To edit a link after creating it, right-click the cell that contains the link, then click Edit Link.[3]

  • To delete a link from your sheet, right-click the cell, then click Clear contents.

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Working with Excel, a day will come when you’ll need to reference data from one workbook in another one. It’s a common use case and pretty easy to pull off. Join us as we explain how to link two Excel files and discuss many possible scenarios.

How to link Excel files – what are the available options?

Just as there are many different versions of Excel, the ways to link data also differ. It’s a lot easier if you share your Excel files in OneDrive rather than locally but we’ll discuss both scenarios.

Choosing how to link data depends also on the sheer volume of what you wish to link. If we’re talking here about particular cells or a column from your workbook, the default methods will do just fine. If you’re after linking entire Excel files, using tools such as Coupler.io with its Excel integrations may prove to be more efficient. But we’ll get to that!

You can link two or more Excel files stored on your hard drive. When the data changes in a Source file, the change will be quickly reflected in the Destination file.

The drawback of this approach is that it will only work on your local machine. Even if you share both files with another user, the link will cease to exist and they’ll be forced to re-add it. What’s more, the data will be only updated if both files are open at the same time.

So if you have a choice, it’s better to add both files to your OneDrive. If they’re already in there, you may as well jump to the How to link between Cloud-based Excel files section.

To link 2 Excel files stored locally, you have two options:

  • Type in a formula referencing the exact location in a Source file
  • Copy the desired cells and paste them as a link

How to link between files in desktop Excel?

To reference a single cell in another local file, you’ll use the following formula:

=[SourceWorkbook.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$1

Replace SourceWorkbook.xlsx with the name of the file stored on your machine. Then, point to an exact sheet and a cell. A reference to a range of cells could like this:

=[MyFile.xlsx]Sheet1!A1:C8

Press ENTER to save the formula and pull the data. If you’re on an older version of Excel, you may need to press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER instead.

1 - excel cell range

When you close the Source file, the formulas will change to include the entire path of the file – for example:

='C:[MyFile.xlsx]Sheet1'!A1:C8

2 - excel full path

As an alternative, you can: 

  • Open a Source file, select the desired cells, and copy them.

3 - excel copy range

  • Head back to the Destination file, right-click on a desired cell or cells and choose to paste as a link.

4 - excel paste as link

  • Here is the result:

5 - excel links

Note that if the Source file is closed, and you reference it with a formula, no data will be pulled until you open a file. 

How to link between cloud-based files in Excel?

When you wish to link Excel Online files or use those stored in OneDrive, things become easier. You can freely share files among coworkers and any interlinking won’t be affected. Links in files also refresh in near real time, giving you peace of mind that you’re working with the latest data.

The feature that enables it is called Workbook Links. We’ll explain how it works in the following chapters.

Workbook Links are suitable for individual cells or ranges of them. You may also link individual columns but the more data is involved, the slower your calculations will be. If you’re going to be linking entire worksheets or workbooks, it’s far better to focus on importing, rather than linking them. This is best done with dedicated tools. 

There is more on that in the How to link a wide range of cells to Excel or another service chapter.

How to link two Excel files?

Let’s start with a most basic use case – you’re running some operations in your Excel workbook. In one of the fields, you wish to use the value(s) from another workbook and have it update automatically.

The flow is simple:

  • In workbook 1 (source), highlight the data you want to link and copy it.
  • In workbook 2 (destination), right-click on the first row and select the Link icon.

6 - excel online paste link

The latest data will be imported. A yellow bar will, however, appear now as well as every time you open a destination workbook.

7 - excel data connection disabled

To enable the data sync, select Enable Content. 

For some more advanced settings, you can choose the Manage Workbook Links button to look up the list of connected workbooks and a status for each – most likely it will be Connection Blocked. 

To sync, press the Enable Content button from the yellow bar.

8 - excel enable content

If any errors occur, you’ll see them in the menu to the right. For each of the connected files, you can press the Refresh button to manually pull the latest data. You can also use the button above to refresh data for all your links.

Of course, the whole idea of creating links between workbooks is not to keep refreshing the data manually. Once the data has been refreshed, an option to set automatic updates will be enabled.

9 - excel refresh connection

If you tick Refresh automatically, the data will start to refresh periodically. 

How to link a wide range of cells to Excel or another service?

The more data you link, the more computing your Excel needs to perform to pull the data and refresh it. It’s not an issue if you have a few or a few dozens of links spread across files. 

However, if you wish to regularly pull thousands of cells into your workbooks, it will significantly slow down your workbooks. It may delay the data refresh and may leave you wondering whether the data has already been refreshed or not.

To avoid that, for larger operations it’s better to use tools dedicated to importing data such as Coupler.io. With Coupler.io, you can pull the desired ranges of cells directly into another Excel workbook or worksheet. You can then refresh the data automatically at a chosen schedule.

If you wish to, you can also import the Excel data to other services, such as Google Sheets or Google BigQuery, or bring it to Excel from Airtable, Pipedrive, Hubspot, and many others.

To get started with Coupler.io, create an account, log in, and click the Add an importer button.

From the list of source applications, choose Excel.

10 - coupler excel destination

Next, click the Connect button. Log in with your Microsoft account and allow for Coupler.io to connect.

Once connected, you’ll need to choose the workbook from your OneDrive that we’ll be importing from. Also select the worksheet in this file.

11 - coupler excel source

Although it’s optional, most often you’ll want to specify the range of cells to import. If you don’t, all data from a given sheet will be fetched.

You may use the standard Excel formatting and pull, for example, cells C1:D8. You may also pull an entire column by typing, for example, C1:C.

12 - coupler excel cell range

Jumping to the Destination settings, choose where to import the data to. We’ll go with Excel as we just want to move the data from one workbook to another but there are other options available too.

13 - coupler excel destination

If you’re importing from Excel to Excel, there’s no need to connect your account again, unless you’re importing to someone else’s account. Select it, and specify the exact destination.

Finally, you can create a schedule for when the data should be imported. Choose what works best for you and run the importer.

14 - coupler excel schedule

Give it a little while to load, and then open the destination worksheet to see the results.

15 - excel import results

How to link Excel files and sync in real-time?

One of the advantages of using Excel files stored on OneDrive is their ability to sync data between one another. Microsoft advertises it as real-time sync but after some tests, we would call it a near real time. 

If you’re used to the refresh rate of Google Sheets, for example, you may be disappointed. However, in most situations, a slight delay won’t cause any trouble.

To link files in Excel, follow the steps we outlined in the How to link Excel files chapter.

When data is changed in the destination file, most likely you won’t see an update visible right away in the source file. If you do nothing about it and just move on to the next task, you should see a refreshed number in a cell in a few minutes’ time. It will then continue refreshing at regular intervals.

If you want to speed things up, you can run an instant refresh by clicking Data -> Workbook Links in the menu and then the icon to refresh the data from a particular workbook.

16 - excel workbook refresh

This will often work, but only if the data in the source workbook has already been saved. Once again, it doesn’t happen instantly but only at regular (quite frequent) intervals. 

If you’re anxious to have the data refreshed presently, you may consider refreshing the source file after making a change. This will prompt an automatic save. After that, manually force a data refresh in the destination file and it will fetch the latest saved data.

As a reminder, if you use Coupler.io to import data from one Excel workbook to another, you decide on the refresh schedule. For some, morning sync from Monday to Friday will do just fine. Others will prefer more frequent syncs – with Coupler.io you can even do it every 15 minutes. 

FAQ: How to link Excel files

Let’s now discuss some specific use cases for how to link files in Excel. The tips below apply for files stored in OneDrive. If you only use Excel locally, jump back to the How to link local files in Excel section.

How to link cells in different Excel files?

For linking individual cells across files, the procedure is very much the same as we discussed earlier:

  • Highlight the cell you want to reuse elsewhere and copy it.
  • Right-click on the desired destination and select the Link icon from the Paste Options section.

If you’re importing to the same workbook as before, you won’t need to Enable Content again. If you reloaded it in the meantime, or are just linking the data to a new workbook, choose Manage Workbook Links and then Enable Content from the same bar.

Note that if you link multiple sets of cells or data ranges from the same workbook serving as a Source, they will all appear as a single position on your list of Workbook Links. 

In the example below, you can see the data we imported from our sample Shopify store using Coupler.io. 

We have a range of prices to the left linked from the respective workbook. Below there’s also a name of one of our products linked from another place in the same workbook. To the right, we can refresh data for all linked fields or, for example, enable automatic data refreshes.

17 - excel refresh all links

How to link two Excel files without opening the source file?

You can link files in Excel without actually opening the source file. Of course, you’ll need to know the exact location of the cell or range of cells you wish to link. What’s more, to link Excel Online files or anything else stored on your OneDrive, you’ll need to fetch your unique ID.

To do so, set up a link in the traditional way we described above. Then, click on any linked cell in the Destination file and check its formula. It will look something like this:

='https://d.docs.live.net/18644c626caae38c/[myworkbook1.xlsx]Sheet1'!$C$2

The ID will follow right after the live.net link:

18 - excel id

To insert a link from any given workbook, copy the formula with your ID and swap the file name and the cell range with the right values. Press ENTER and the latest data will be fetched.

How to link Excel columns between files?

Choosing a range of cells limits you to only the values currently present in the Source workbook. If anything new appears, it won’t be linked and, as such, won’t appear in the Destination workbook.

The solution is often to link an entire column and reference it in another file. To do so, click on any column in the Source file and copy it.

19 - excel copy column

Then, select the first row of a column you want to add a link to and choose the Link icon. All the rows from the chosen column will be imported.

20 - excel paste column as link

Rather than click, you can also enter the formulas directly. To link an entire column, it’s best to link to the first cell and then stretch the formula to the other rows.

When you insert the formula for the first row, be sure to remove the second $ (dollar) sign pointing to the specific cell. So, instead of the reference:

(...)Sheet1'!$C$2

Make it:

(...)Sheet1'!$C2

How to link fields between multiple files in Excel?

Advanced calculations may require referencing data from multiple spreadsheets at the same time. In the same way, the calculated data can then be referenced in other workbooks, creating a complex network of interconnected links.

As you recall from the earlier chapters, the formulas for linking cells between Excel Online files look somewhat like this:

='https://d.docs.live.net/18373e637ca3e48c/[Shopify Products - prices.xlsx]Sheet1'!$C$8

For the purpose of running any calculations or just adjusting the formulas as we go, the link is far too complex. It’s much better to link the desired fields into the destination workbook and then reference them from another worksheet in the same workbook.

To do so, create a separate worksheet in your destination file where you’ll link all the external data. Name it accordingly – for example, “Sources”. Link the desired data by copying it from the source file and then pasting it as links (just as we did before).

Then, jump to the worksheet in the destination file. To reference the data from another sheet, use the following pattern:

Sheet_name!$A$1

For example, for calculating the average value of a range of cells present now in another worksheet, we would use:

=AVERAGE(Sources!B2:B12)

21 - excel sources tab

You can also type in the “=” sign (plus optionally a function name) and then jump to another worksheet and highlight the arguments. Press ENTER and the formula will be resolved.

In the standard version of Excel, the approach is pretty much the same, just with some small changes in the syntax of the links, as we mentioned earlier.

How to link Excel files – summing up

Linking Excel files can save you plenty of time and help you automate many dull processes. 

It can also make things harder if you begin to link from one file to another, then to another, and another. The more interconnected workbooks become, the more complex it will be to troubleshoot the entire flow. 

Find the right balance and use the right methods for linking your data.

When moving individual cells or ranges of them, Workbook Links work perfectly and are very easy to set up.

For moving large sets of data between workbooks or linking entire files, it’s a lot better to use tools such as Coupler.io. You’ll be able to set up your own schedule for imports, and all data transfers will happen outside of Excel. As a result, no Excel resources will be used, and you’ll be able to work much more smoothly while the information is synced in the background.

Thanks for reading!

  • Piotr Malek

    Technical Content Writer on Coupler.io who loves working with data, writing about it, and even producing videos about it. I’ve worked at startups and product companies, writing content for technical audiences of all sorts. You’ll often see me cycling🚴🏼‍♂️, backpacking around the world🌎, and playing heavy board games.

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What are External Links in Excel?

External links are also known as the external references in Excel. When we use any formula in Excel and refer to any other workbook apart from the workbook with the formula, the new workbook is the external link to the formula. When we give a link or apply a formula from another workbook, it is called an external link.

If our formula reads like the below, it is an external link.

External Links 1

‘C:UsersAdmin_2.Dell-PCDesktop: This is the path to that sheet on the computer.

[External Sheet.xlsx]: This is the “Workbook” name in that path.

Vlookup Sheet: This is the “Worksheet” name in that workbook.

$C$1:$D$25: This is the range in that sheet.

Table of contents
  • What are External Links in Excel?
    • Types of External Links in Excel
      • #1- Links within the Same Worksheet
      • #2 – Links from different worksheet but within the same workbook
      • #3 – Links from a different workbook
    • How to Find, Edit, and Remove External Links in Excel?
      • Method #1: Using the Find & Replace Method with Operator Symbol
      • Method #2: Using the Find & Replace Method with File Extension
      • Method #3: Using Edit Link Option in Excel
    • Things to Remember
    • Recommended Articles

Types of External Links in Excel

  • Links within the same worksheet
  • Links from different worksheets but the same workbook
  • Links from a different workbook

You can download this External Links Excel Template here – External Links Excel Template

#1- Links within the Same Worksheet

These types of links are within the same worksheet. In a workbook, there are many sheets. This type of link specifies only the cell name.

For example, if we are in cell B2 and the formula bar reads A1, whatever happens in the A1 cell will reflect in cell B2.

External Links - Types 1

It is just a simple link within the same sheet.

#2 – Links from different worksheets but within the same workbook

These types of links are within the same workbook but from different sheets.

For example, suppose there are two sheets in a workbook, and right now, we are in Sheet1 and giving a link from Sheet2.

External Links - Types 2

#3 – Links from a different workbook

This type of link is called an external link. It means this is altogether from a different workbook itself.

For example, if we give a link from another workbook called “Book1”, it will first show the workbook name, sheet name, and cell name.

External Links - Types 3

How to Find, Edit, and Remove External Links in Excel?

There are multiple ways we can find external links in the Excel workbook. As soon as we open a worksheet, we will get the below dialog box before we get inside the workbook, indicating that this workbook has external links.

External Links 2

Let us explain the methods to find external links in Excel.

Method #1: Using the Find & Replace Method with Operator Symbol

The link must have included its path or URL to the referring workbook if external links exist. The common in all the links is the operator symbol “[. “

Below are the steps to find external links using the “Find & Replace” method.

  1. First, we must select the sheet and press the “Ctrl + F” keys (shortcut to find external links).

    External Links 3 (Find and Replace)

  2. Then, we must insert the symbol “[” and click on “Find All.”

Method #2: Using the Find & Replace Method with File Extension

A cell with external references includes a workbook name and the workbook type.

The common file extensions are .xlsx , .xls , .xlsm , .xlb.

Step 1: First, we must select the sheet and press the “Ctrl + F” (shortcut to find external links).

Find and Replace Method 1

Step 2: Now, we must insert “.xlsx” and click on “Find All.”

Find and Replace Method 2

It will show all the external link cells.

Method #3: Using the Edit Link Option in Excel

It is the most direct option we have in Excel. It will highlight only the external link, unlike methods 1 and 2. We can edit the link in Excel, break, or delete and remove external links in this method.

The “Edit Links” option in Excel is available under the “Data” tab.

method

Step 1: We must first select the cells we want to edit, break, or delete the link cells.

method 1.

Step 2: Now, click on “Edit Links” in Excel. There are several options available here.

method 2

  • Update Values: This will update any changed values from the linked sheet.
  • Change Source: This will change the source file.
  • Open Source: This will open the source file instantly.
  • Break Link: This will permanently delete the formula, remove the external link, and retain only the values. Once this is done, we cannot undo it.
  • Check Status: This will check the status of the link.

Note: Sometimes, even if there is an external source, these methods would not show anything, but we must manually check graphs, charts, name ranges, data validation, condition formattingConditional formatting is a technique in Excel that allows us to format cells in a worksheet based on certain conditions. It can be found in the styles section of the Home tab.read more, chart title, shapes, or objects.

Things to Remember

  • We can find external links by using the VBA codeVBA code refers to a set of instructions written by the user in the Visual Basic Applications programming language on a Visual Basic Editor (VBE) to perform a specific task.read more. We must search on the internet to explore this.
  • If the external link is given to shapes, we must look for it manually.
  • The external formula links will not show the results in the case of SUMIF Formulas in ExcelThe SUMIF Excel function calculates the sum of a range of cells based on given criteria. The criteria can include dates, numbers, and text. For example, the formula “=SUMIF(B1:B5, “<=12”)” adds the values in the cell range B1:B5, which are less than or equal to 12.
    read more    , SUMIFS & COUNTIF formulasThe COUNTIF function in Excel counts the number of cells within a range based on pre-defined criteria. It is used to count cells that include dates, numbers, or text. For example, COUNTIF(A1:A10,”Trump”) will count the number of cells within the range A1:A10 that contain the text “Trump”
    read more    . It will show the values only if the sourced file is opened.
  • If Excel still shows an external link promptly, we must manually check all the formatting, charts, validation, etc.
  • Keeping external links can be helpful in case of auto-updating from the other sheet.

Recommended Articles

This article is a guide to External Links in Excel. Here, we discussed types of links, dealing with external links, finding, editing, and removing external links in Excel, and Excel examples and downloadable Excel templates. You may also look at these useful functions in Excel: –

  • Break Links Excel
  • Remove Excel Hyperlinks
  • VBA Hyperlinks
  • Insert Hyperlinks in Excel
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