Before sharing an Excel file from your Mac, check Data > Workbook Links for references to other workbooks, then inspect formulas, defined names, charts, and data connections for anything the pane may not show. A workbook link can depend on a separate source file, so recipients may see stale values or be unable to refresh data if that source is unavailable. Excel for Mac’s Workbook Links command is a useful first check, but Microsoft does not document it as a complete scan of every external dependency.

1. Check the Workbook Links pane in Excel for Mac

Open the workbook you plan to send and choose Data > Workbook Links. If Excel shows a yellow message that it could not refresh linked workbook values, choose Manage Workbook Links from the warning. Microsoft says the Workbook Links command is unavailable when the workbook contains no recognized links. Review each listed source workbook and decide whether the recipient should retain a live connection to it. Microsoft’s Excel for Mac instructions

The pane reports workbook-to-workbook links, not ordinary clickable hyperlinks. A hyperlink might open a webpage or another file when clicked; an external workbook reference supplies values to formulas. Microsoft treats these as different features, so removing a hyperlink does not remove a formula’s dependency on another workbook. Microsoft: Fix broken workbook links to data in Excel for Mac

2. Find out what each link is used for

A formula referencing another workbook often includes the source filename in square brackets, such as [Budget.xlsx], followed by a sheet name and cell reference. With the source workbook closed, a formula may also include a full file path. Search the workbook’s formulas for [ as a practical way to spot many external references; on Mac, use Edit > Find or press Command-F, then search the workbook. Treat this as a clue, not a complete audit: links can also be stored in names, objects, or charts. Microsoft: How to fix formula errors in Excel for Mac

Microsoft lists external references in worksheet cells, defined names, objects such as text boxes and shapes, chart titles, and chart data series. For a chart, select the title or a data series and inspect its formula in the formula bar for an outside workbook reference. Review names through Excel’s name-management controls if the formula search and Workbook Links pane leave a question unresolved. Microsoft: External links found

3. Check queries and external data connections separately

Workbook Links is not the right place to review every way a workbook obtains outside data. If the file uses Power Query or Get Data, Microsoft directs Mac users to manage and refresh those sources in the Queries & Connections pane. Inspect the query and connection names and determine whether they point to files, databases, or online sources the recipient can access. These connections are distinct from formulas linking cells in another workbook. Microsoft: Fix broken workbook links to data in Excel for Mac and Microsoft: Create, edit, and manage connections to external data

4. Choose whether to keep, replace, or break a workbook link

Keep a link when the recipient needs the data to update and will have access to the source workbook. Confirm the location is stable and tell the recipient what source file or shared location is required. If the source file moved, use Data > Workbook Links, select the link, choose More … > Change Source, browse to the correct file, and refresh it before sharing. A link that refreshes on your Mac may still fail for someone without access to that file or location.

If the recipient only needs the current results, breaking a link converts formulas that refer to the source workbook into their current calculated values. On Mac, select the link in Workbook Links, choose More … > Break Links, and confirm you can live without the formulas. Microsoft warns that this action cannot be undone; save a separate copy first. Breaking links removes the ability of those formulas to update from the source, so review important totals and outputs afterward. Microsoft: Fix broken workbook links to data in Excel for Mac

5. Run a final check, with clear limits

After changing or breaking links, save the workbook, close it, and reopen it to check for refresh warnings or visible errors. Revisit Data > Workbook Links and repeat the formula, chart, name, and connection checks that apply to the workbook. Microsoft’s Document Inspector documentation says it identifies external links that appear in its links dialog and cannot remove those links for you; the page describes Windows controls, so do not assume its exact interface is available on Mac. Microsoft: External links found

There is no single documented Mac command in these sources that guarantees discovery of every external dependency. Workbook Links, formula search, chart and name inspection, and Queries & Connections cover different cases. If you need to ensure a fully self-contained file, verify each relevant category and test the saved copy without relying on the original source files before sending it.

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