How to Link Sheets in Excel: A Beginners Guide

Hey guys, Franco with Wisdify here! Today, I’ll walk you through how to link sheets in Excel. This is incredibly useful when working with an Excel file where the numbers or data you need on one sheet are located on another. No more tedious copy-pasting! Let’s dive in.

Understanding the Scenario

Imagine you’re working with an Excel file that has:

1. Assumptions Sheet – Contains input data like sales volume or prices.
2. Income Statement Sheet – Where these values need to be used or calculated.

For example, let’s compute the total revenue for 2024 by multiplying sales volume by selling price. But these values are on different sheets. Do you need to manually copy-paste values? Absolutely not!

Why Linking Sheets Is Better

Copying and pasting static values means updates on one sheet don’t reflect on the other. For instance:

1. If you copy-paste a value and later update the sales volume in your Assumptions Sheet, the Income Statement won’t reflect this change.
2. This creates room for errors and unnecessary rework.

To avoid this, we link the sheets to make everything dynamic and seamless.

How to Link Sheets in Excel

Here’s how you can dynamically link data between sheets:

1. Navigate to the Target Cell: Go to the cell in your Income Statement Sheet where you want the linked value or formula.
2. Start with an Equals Sign: Type = in the cell.
3. Switch to the Source Sheet: Navigate to your Assumptions Sheet and click on the cell you want to reference.
4. Press Enter: Hit Enter, and Excel automatically links the cells. The value from the Assumptions Sheet now appears dynamically in the Income Statement Sheet.

Linking Formulas Across Sheets

You’re not limited to linking single values. You can also:

• Use formulas in the target sheet that reference cells from other sheets.
• For example, in your Income Statement, compute total revenue by referencing the sales volume and selling price in the Assumptions Sheet.

1. In the Income Statement, type =.
2. Switch to the Assumptions Sheet and click on the cell for sales volume.
3. Type * (multiply) and click on the selling price cell in the Assumptions Sheet.
4. Press Enter. The formula dynamically calculates revenue using values from the linked sheet.

Real-Time Updates in Linked Sheets

The beauty of linked sheets is real-time updates. For instance:

• If you change the sales volume in your Assumptions Sheet, the corresponding revenue in your Income Statement will automatically update.
• This ensures your workbook stays consistent and accurate without manual adjustments.

Benefits of Linking Sheets

1. Time Efficiency: No need to manually update or re-enter data.
2. Accuracy: Reduces the risk of errors from manual data entry.
3. Dynamic Updates: Changes in one sheet instantly reflect in others.

Conclusion

And that’s it! Linking sheets in Excel is a game-changer for managing dynamic and accurate data. I hope this guide simplifies your workflow and boosts your productivity.

If you found this helpful, share it with others and keep exploring ways to make Excel work smarter for you. This is Franco with Wisdify, and I hope you have a great day!