Tom’s Tutorials For Excel: Going To the Precedent Cell with a Keyboard Shortcut

Tom’s Tutorials For Excel: Going To the Precedent Cell with a Keyboard Shortcut

Here’s a cool tip for the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+[ which takes you from the formula cell you are on, to the precedent cell (if there is one) of that formula.

In this first example, the active cell is C5 which displays what is in precedent cell G2.
Pressing Ctrl+[ takes you to cell G2.


It also works for going to a precedent cell on a different worksheet.
In this next example, active cell E3 on Sheet1 displays what is in cell A4 of Sheet3.
Pressing Ctrl+[ takes you to cell A4 of Sheet3.


This also works for going to the precedent cell of a different workbook. In this final example, active cell B3 on Sheet2 of Book1 displays what is in cell H6 on Sheet1 of Book2.
Pressing Ctrl+[ takes you to Book2 (which does not need to be open at the time — Excel will open it for you), Sheet1, cell H6.

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6 comments on “Tom’s Tutorials For Excel: Going To the Precedent Cell with a Keyboard Shortcut
  1. Qasim Mahmood says:

    what short cut key that i use if I want to go back to the dependent cell

  2. Matus says:

    Why my Ctrl + [ does not work please?

    • Tom Urtis says:

      What does ‘does not work” mean?
      Did you try the keyboard shortcut on a selected cell that contained a formula, and which has a precedent cell address in its formula?

  3. Aryanpandith says:

    This is really good one Tom. Helps a lot.

  4. Talib Khatri says:

    thansk very use full

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