Did you see the circular reference error on an Excel sheet and wondering if the worksheet is broken?

Youre not the first one to face this Excel error.

Hundreds and thousands of Excel users experience circular reference errors every day.

How to Find Circular References in Excel to Avoid Faulty Data

Heres how to find circular references in Excel and resolve those.

Being an avid Excel user, you rarely jot down the same data in many cells.

Instead, you import a data set from the source and use cell referencing to create formulas.

What Is Circular Reference in Excel

Thus, you create a dynamic spreadsheet.

When someone changes the cell values of the cell references, the worksheet updates itself automatically.

This is called data analysis automation and data analysts love to play with cell references.

When Do You See the Circular Reference Error in Excel

In such and many other similar situations you get the circular reference error in Excel.

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What Is a Circular Reference in Excel?

It might sound confusing to you, so think about how severe it could be for the Excel app.

An example of circular reference usage

In short, you never want to put the cell address in a formula where youre creating it.

This is just a straightforward example.

Furthermore, circular referencing can severely reduce the speed of calculations within the Excel app.

Unintended circular reference in Excel

In fact, Excel lets you use this calculation method when necessary.

Such high-level engineering calculations indeed require circular references for iterative calculations.

When Do You See the Circular Reference Error in Excel?

An example of indirect circular reference

Clearly speaking, the circular reference pop-up isnt an oops message.

Because finding and eliminating circular references in Excel isnt an automated task.

Hence, Google Sheets will immediately show the #REF!

Showing circular references in Excel Status Bar

error on the cell that contains a circular formula.

warning to find and resolve circular references on Google Sheets.

Next up, thebest Excel calendar templates for any yearand thebest Excel budget templates.

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