How to Find Links in an Excel Spreadsheet

When you're working with large, link-filled Excel spreadsheets, you may find the need to count how many links you have or to find the links right away. Microsoft Excel does not have a direct tool or function to find links for you. However, there is a technical workaround to find links. All links in Excel are enclosed in square brackets ([ ]), so you can search for the square brackets to find links.

Instructions

1. Click "Start," "All programs," "Microsoft Office" and then "Microsoft Excel."

2. Click "File" and then "Open." Locate the Excel spreadsheet through which you need to search.

3. Click "Find & Select," and then click "Find."

4. Click "Options" and then type "[" (without quotation marks) into the "Find what" field. Select "Workbook" from the "Within" box, and type "Formulas" in the "Look in" box. This will search only for links.

5. Click "Find All." You will now find all of the cells in the worksheet with links in them.

References

• Microsoft: Excel: Find external references (links) in a workbook