When an Excel formula relies on many other cells to calculate its result, it can be challenging to troubleshoot errors. Instead of using the Formula Auditing toolbar, which itself can be confusing, you can quickly pinpoint precedent and dependent cells using shortcut keys.

First, select the cell you need to troubleshoot. To select all cells that depend on the current cell’s value to calculate their results, press [Ctrl](]). Or, press [Ctrl]([) to select all the cells the current cell depends on to calculate its own result.

You may find it helpful to apply cell shading to the cells Excel selects — then you can troubleshoot your formula by reviewing the shaded cells one by one. Just remember to remove the cell shading when you’ve finished troubleshooting.

Filed under: Microsoft Office Tutor