WPS Locate Referenced Cells on Windows helps you see which cells the current formula cell refers to; it includes 1 core task, with 1 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 1 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 1 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Locate Referenced Cells is a formula auditing feature in WPS Spreadsheet for Windows. It helps you identify which upstream cells are referenced by the selected formula cell, so you can review data sources and understand formula relationships more clearly.
Core capabilities:
- View referenced cells for the selected formula cell.
- Continue tracing data sources from the result window.
- Review formula relationships during checking and collaboration.
This feature is useful for formula review, spreadsheet handoff, and data verification in WPS Office on Windows.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for local reference tracing |
| Other | Open a WPS Spreadsheet file that contains formulas |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Check after installation | Open WPS Spreadsheet, load a worksheet with formulas, and confirm that Locate Referenced Cells is available on the Formulas tab |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | WPS lets you open Locate Referenced Cells from the Formulas tab to view which cells are referenced by the selected cell, then continue tracing through the Locate option in the dialog. | Excel provides Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents to graphically display relationships between formulas and cells with tracer arrows, and it can trace additional levels. | Google Sheets officially documents formulas, functions, range selection, and formula highlighting while editing, but the cited help page does not describe a desktop-style precedent tracing tool equivalent to formula auditing arrows. | Notion formulas work with database properties, relations, and rollups. It supports connected data and calculated properties, but not spreadsheet-style cell precedent tracing. | Adobe Acrobat supports calculated PDF form fields and field relationships for form calculations, but this is designed for PDF forms rather than worksheet cell reference tracing. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: The entry is directly available on the Formulas tab, and the dialog-based Locate action supports quick source review for the selected cell. | Compared with WPS: Excel emphasizes arrow-based visual tracing across levels, while WPS focuses on a direct dialog workflow for checking the selected cell's references. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets documentation focuses more on formula entry, range selection, and highlighting during editing than on a dedicated reference-tracing command. | Compared with WPS: Notion is oriented toward database relations and property formulas instead of cell-level spreadsheet auditing. | Compared with WPS: Adobe calculation tools are built for PDF form fields, so the workflow and use case differ from spreadsheet formula review. |
| Official Source | — | Display formula relationships | Add formulas and functions | Relations and rollups | PDF form field calculations |
Overall Conclusion
If you need to check where a spreadsheet result comes from, WPS Locate Referenced Cells offers a direct way to inspect referenced cells in the current worksheet workflow. Microsoft Excel provides a more visual arrow-based auditing model, while Notion and Adobe address different product scenarios such as databases and PDF forms.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main issue | How it helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Review formula sources | Finance staff and data reviewers | It is unclear which cells feed the current result | Use Locate Referenced Cells after selecting the target cell |
| 2 | Check shared spreadsheets | Team collaborators | It is hard to understand formulas created by others | Trace upstream references more quickly |
| 3 | Investigate unexpected results | Spreadsheet maintainers | A result looks wrong but the source is unclear | Continue tracing from the dialog with Locate |
| 4 | Learn complex formulas | New spreadsheet users | Long formulas are difficult to read | Use reference tracing to understand involved cells |
| 5 | Audit business reports | Managers and reviewers | Key metrics need source confirmation | Check referenced ranges behind important values |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Locate Referenced Cells | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic PDF features | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Cloud storage | 1 GB | 20 GB |
| Template downloads | Limited | More advanced templates and additional benefits |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday formula reference checks | Free | This feature can be used without membership |
| More cloud storage and broader office benefits | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need more storage, templates, and additional office features |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page