How do you link data from one Excel workbook to another?

Linking data from one Excel workbook to another can be accomplished effectively by using a formula that specifies the name of the other workbook. This method involves creating a reference that includes the workbook's name and, optionally, the specific worksheet and cell that you want to draw data from.

When you input a formula that references another workbook, it typically follows the syntax of including the workbook name enclosed in square brackets. For example, if the external workbook is named "Sales.xlsx" and you want to reference cell A1 on a worksheet called "Quarter1", the full formula would look something like this:

='[Sales.xlsx]Quarter1'!A1

This approach ensures that the data remains dynamically linked, meaning if the information in the referenced workbook changes, the updates will automatically reflect in the workbook containing the formula.

Other methods listed, such as using the VLOOKUP function, copying and pasting data, or importing, serve different purposes. VLOOKUP is primarily used for retrieving data from a table based on a lookup value, not for direct linking. Copying and pasting would not maintain a live connection between the two workbooks, and importing typically involves bringing in data to a workbook without ongoing linkage. Thus, using a formula to