For those of you that don’t know, a circular reference means that your formula is trying to calculate itself since you are referring to cells already included in the formula. The full message reads as follows: Further research revealed that this is a common error message, so we decided to make a list of the best ways you can overcome the circular reference error in Microsoft Excel.
How do I fix the circular reference error in Microsoft Excel?
1. Enable the iterative calculation feature
If you want a workaround for the circular reference error in Excel, you should enable the iterative calculation feature. By doing so, you will be able to use circular references without encountering any issues. Here is how to do so:
Open Microsoft Excel.
Select File and go to Options.
Select Formulas.
Check the box next to Enable iterative calculation.
Click Ok to apply and save the changes.
2. Find the cell causing the circular reference error
3. Manually move the formula to another cell
If you have a simple calculation, for example, A1 + A2 + A3= A4, but you wanted to put the SUM formula on A1, A2, or A3 instead of A4, this will trigger the reference error. That being the case, simply choose a different cell for your formula, without overlapping with the cells that already have numerical values inside of them. By following the steps below, you should be able to fix any circular reference error and resume using Microsoft Excel accordingly. Which one of the methods worked best for you? Let us know by leaving us a message in the comments section below.
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