Large spreadsheets are often very complicated with formulas referring to many cells each of which contains its own formulas referring to other cells that might be contained in other worksheets or even other workbooks. Excel's formula auditing commands are very helpful when working in large worksheets.

The two most common uses of the Formula Auditing commands are:

1. To locate the cause of errors. Often an error appearing in one cell is caused by an error in another cell. The Formula Auditing commands can help you find the cell causing the error.
2. To better understand worksheets and information in specific cells. In a complex worksheet, it can be difficult to ascertain where results come from. The Formula Auditing commands can help you understand how different cells in the worksheet relate to each other.

Detailed instructions for using the most commonly used formula auditing commands follow.