---
title: "Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook"  
description: "Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook"  
author: "AVADHESH PATEL"  
published: 2013-03-26  
updated: 2019-09-07  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1167/creating-a-reference-to-another-sheet-or-workbook  
category: "excel"  
tags: ["excel"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook

[Excel sheet](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/23040/to-import-excel-sheet-into-sql-database) provide one most important [feature](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/541/what-is-new-feature-in-sql-server-2012) to set [reference](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/34619/call-by-value-and-call-by-reference) with another sheet or workbook. You use [external](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/45347/who-is-the-minister-of-external-affairs) references when working with [large amounts of data](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/161107/how-does-mongodb-handle-large-amounts-of-data-and-maintain-performance) or [complex](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/audio/1142/understanding-the-complex-factors-influencing-mental-health) formulas that are spread across several workbooks.\

For demonstration first create work sheet as below. I have created five work sheets with different [values](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159360/how-to-write-sql-query-to-join-comma-separated-values) for better understanding.

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/56e5bc4b-d9cd-4635-ae91-5d5744d8af46.png)

Other work sheet as below

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/73d236c6-0c1e-4bcd-af12-305976b34b3c.png)

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/585a5bb9-09a0-4124-b936-0184fa884fa7.png)

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/581afb11-ac68-4c03-b4d6-8c97e0ab3483.png)

Now, I’m going to calculate total [expenses](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/84371/these-are-some-useful-hacks-to-optimize-your-car-running-expenses) of sheet “US”, ”India”, ”Japan” on “Total” sheet. Steps are given below

Step 1: [Select](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/34066/use-select-operator-in-linq) Cell of “Total” sheet where you display sum of values and write “=” [sign as](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/34449/which-british-redhead-did-paris-match-sign-as-a-regular-writer-in-1996) below image.

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/a53b75f4-5c91-45af-ba18-c30cbafc5cf5.png)

Step 2: Now open “US” sheet and select or write cell index which you want sum with another sheet’s cell value. See below image

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/4d606636-ba28-4e69-b13a-572be652bb50.png)

Step 3: Now enter “+” sing then select “India” and “Japan” sheet and enter cell index as below image

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/64ade66c-88d2-48b3-917a-2ece0c99848c.png)

Now press enter key and see output on “Total” sheet as below image.

![Creating a Reference to another Sheet or Workbook](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/416f95e8-5fb1-4a52-8551-1470360ae11f/images/50d39117-ee30-4c21-8872-8e30eecc5ab4.png)

---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1167/creating-a-reference-to-another-sheet-or-workbook

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