Friction TamerExcel knows there are external links.
Now you can know exactly where.
Find external references across XLSX/XLSM workbooks, identify broken sources and missing targets, reveal the exact location, then repair only what you choose.
Free to scan, Reveal and export reports · Pro unlocks workbook modifications · no subscription
External references don't only live in cells.
Link Detective scans the Open XML package for references in the places that are easy to miss when a workbook simply reports “external links”.
Formulas & names
Cell formulas and defined names, with the source workbook and exact workbook location surfaced clearly.
Rules & validation
Conditional formatting and data-validation formulas that can quietly keep old workbook references alive.
Charts & package parts
Chart series and other supported Open XML locations that ordinary cell searches can overlook.
Know what's broken—and filter to only what matters.
OK
The target workbook can be resolved and the referenced sheet/target can be verified.
Broken
Separate missing source files from cases where the workbook exists but the referenced target no longer does.
Unverified
For paths that cannot be proven safely, locate the source manually or verify a whole folder without modifying the workbook.
Mass replacement when you want it. Surgical changes when you don't.
Replace a source workbook everywhere, retarget only selected findings to a new workbook/sheet/range, or break only the selected references. Multiple selection is supported.
Changes are deliberately conservative.
Backup first
A timestamped backup is created before a mutation is promoted to the original workbook.
Validate after
The edited package is validated and rescanned before the operation is treated as successful.
Refuse unsafe breaks
If a formula has no usable cached result, Link Detective refuses to break it instead of inventing a replacement value.
Find the problem for free. Unlock repairs for €14.99 once.
The same v1.0.0 application works in Free mode without a licence. Pro unlocks workbook-modification actions; there is no subscription.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Scan and list supported external references | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reveal reference locations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Replace source workbook-wide | — | ✓ |
| Retarget selected reference(s) | — | ✓ |
| Break selected reference(s) with guarded backup/validation | — | ✓ |
Excel says there are external links but you cannot find them?
Work through the common hidden locations manually, then see when a package-level scan saves time.
How to Find Hidden External Links in Excel →
Check formulas, defined names, conditional formatting, data validation, charts and other workbook locations without blindly deleting anything.