WPS Track Referenced Cells on macOS helps you visualize which cells a formula refers to; this guide covers 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 2 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 2 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
| Version limits | None stated | Available in supported WPS Sheets for Mac environments |
About This Feature
Overview
Track Referenced Cells is a formula auditing feature in WPS Sheets for Mac that uses arrows to show which cells are referenced by the current formula, making it easier to trace data sources and review formula paths.
Core capabilities include:
- Track Referenced Cells: Show tracer arrows for the current formula and distinguish references in the current worksheet from references in other worksheets.
- Remove Trace Arrows: Remove precedent arrows, dependent arrows, or all arrows when you want to clear the worksheet view.
This feature is useful for checking complex formulas, reviewing cross-sheet references, and understanding multi-level calculation relationships. It is especially helpful when you want a faster way to inspect where formula results come from in WPS Office on macOS.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Mac device that can run WPS Office for Mac |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for the feature itself; downloading, installation, and account services require internet access |
| Other | Open a workbook in WPS Sheets and select a cell that contains a formula |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation method | Download the Mac installer and complete the setup as prompted |
| Post-install check | Open WPS Sheets and confirm that the related commands are available on the Formulas tab |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | Shows tracer arrows for referenced cells in a formula, supports repeated clicks to reveal deeper reference levels, and distinguishes in-sheet references from cross-worksheet references. | Excel provides Trace Precedents to graphically display precedent cells, supports tracing additional levels, and uses a black arrow toward a worksheet icon for references on another worksheet or workbook. | Google Sheets officially explains how to reference cells from other sheets and other spreadsheets with formulas such as direct sheet references and IMPORTRANGE, but the cited help content does not describe visual tracer arrows for formula auditing. | Notion formulas work with database properties, relations, built-ins, and functions, but they are designed for database property calculations rather than spreadsheet-style cell reference tracing with arrows. | Adobe Acrobat supports calculated PDF form fields and field-based calculations, but this is designed for PDF forms rather than spreadsheet cell reference tracing. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: Built for spreadsheet formula auditing with direct visual arrows in the worksheet. Distinct: You can pair tracing with arrow removal commands to quickly reset the view and inspect formulas again. | Compared with WPS: Excel offers a similar auditing workflow and also supports multi-level tracing. WPS provides the same kind of direct worksheet-level visual review for this task in its spreadsheet environment. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets documentation focuses on formula reference methods instead of visual tracing arrows, so reference paths are less visual in the cited workflow. | Compared with WPS: Notion formulas are better suited to database property logic than cell-by-cell spreadsheet auditing. | Compared with WPS: Adobe calculation tools are oriented to PDF form fields, not worksheet formulas and reference paths. |
| Official Source | — | Display relationships between formulas and cells | Reference data from other sheets | Intro to formulas | Manage PDF form field properties |
Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to inspect where spreadsheet formulas pull data from, WPS Track Referenced Cells fits that workflow directly. Excel supports a closely related auditing approach, while Google Sheets, Notion, and Adobe focus more on formula references, database logic, or PDF form calculations in different product contexts.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main issue | How this feature helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Review summary formula sources | Finance and operations teams | It is not clear which detail cells feed a summary result | Select the formula cell and use Track Referenced Cells to show source arrows |
| 2 | Check cross-worksheet references | Analysts and project teams | Formulas pull data from other worksheets and are slow to inspect manually | Use black dashed arrows to identify and locate cross-worksheet references |
| 3 | Inspect multi-level formula chains | Heavy spreadsheet users | Nested references are difficult to verify step by step | Click Track Referenced Cells multiple times to reveal deeper levels |
| 4 | Clear auditing marks | Everyday office users | Too many arrows make the worksheet hard to read | Use the Remove Arrows menu to clear selected tracing marks |
| 5 | Explain formula structure to others | Training and review scenarios | It is hard to show how a formula gets its inputs | Use visual arrows to present the reference path clearly |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Track Referenced Cells | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic spreadsheet editing | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Additional advanced benefits | Depends on the current product offering shown in WPS | Includes additional advanced features and services |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday formula source checking | Free | This feature can be used without membership for routine tracing and arrow cleanup |
| Broader advanced office needs | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need additional premium features, cloud benefits, or extended services |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership page: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page