trace
Trace spreadsheet cell dependencies using the engine's graph to identify what affects a number or what depends on it before changing assumptions.
Instructions
Follow a cell's dependencies, in either direction, using the engine's own dependency graph.
precedents— what this cell reads. Use it to audit a number: "why is value-per-share what it is".dependents— what reads this cell, and through which reference. Use it before changing something: "what breaks if I edit this assumption".
Both by default. Name the cell semantically as (block, row_key, field), or by coordinate as (row, col) with an optional sheet_idx. Results come back named the same way whenever the cell sits inside a block, so you get "assumptions.wacc" rather than a coordinate to interpret.
This asks the engine rather than reading formula text, so it sees through BLOCKREF, ranges and whole-column references, and it answers the reverse direction — which formula strings cannot.
Granularity matters when blocks are involved. The engine tracks block dependencies per (block, field), not per row, so dependents of one block cell is everything reading that FIELD — the queried row among them. Each edge carries scope: "cell" is exact, "field" and "block" are over-approximations, and approximate: true is set on the result when any edge is wider than a cell. Treat a field-wide answer as "at least these", not "exactly these".
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| target | Yes | The cell to trace. Either (block, row_key, field) or (row, col). | |
| direction | No | both |