How to convert external links to values in Excel?

In Excel worksheet, sometimes, you may create some external data links from other workbooks to link to one used worksheet, generally, the data will be changed as the original workbook changes. If you like the data stop changing and want to convert the links to values, how could you do?

Convert external links to values with Edit Links command

Convert external links to values with Kutools for Excel

Convert external links to values with VBA code

Convert both external links and formulas to values with Kutools for Excel

Convert external links to values with Edit Links command

In Excel, the Edit Links function may help you to break the external links and convert them to values, please do as follows:

1. Click Data > Edit Links, see screenshot:

2. In the Edit Links dialog box, all the links of the source workbooks are listed into the dialog, specify the source workbooks which contain the external links that you want to break, and then click Break Link button, see screenshot:

3. And then a warning message will pop out to remind you after applying this operation, the links will be converted to the existing values, go on clicking Break Links button, see screenshot:

4. And the specific external links have been converted to the values, see screenshots:

Convert external links to values with Kutools for Excel

If you have Kutools for Excel, with its Find and Break Broken Links feature, you can view and locate the link cells, and break them as you need.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Activate your worksheet which contains the external links, then click Kutools > Link > Find and Break Broken Links, see screenshot:

2. In the Find and Break Broken Links dialog box, all external links in current worksheet are listed into the list box, then you can specify the links that you want to convert to values, you can also view the links by checking View cell option, see screenshot:

Tips: you can filter the links from the Filter drop down list.

3. Then click Break link button, all specific external links of current worksheet have been converted to values, and they are selected at the same time, see screenshots:

Convert external links to values with VBA code

The following VBA code also can help you to remove the external links from the whole workbook.

1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.

VBA code: Convert external links to values

Sub BreakLinks()
'Updateby Extendoffice
Dim xLink As Variant
xLink = Application.ActiveWorkbook.LinkSources(Type:=xlLinkTypeExcelLinks)
Do Until IsEmpty(xLink)
    Application.ActiveWorkbook.BreakLink Name:=xLink(1), Type:=xlLinkTypeExcelLinks
    xLink = Application.ActiveWorkbook.LinkSources(Type:=xlLinkTypeExcelLinks)
Loop
End Sub

3. Then press F5 key to run this code, and all the external links within the current workbook have been broken, and they are converted to the normal values.

Convert both external links and formulas to values with Kutools for Excel

Supposing there are both external links and formulas in your worksheet, how to convert both of them to normal values? Kutools for Excel also contains a powerful function – To Actual, with it, you can quickly convert the formulas or displayed values to actual values.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Select the data range that you want to convert the formulas, external links to values.

2. Then click Kutools > To Actual, see screenshot:

3. And all the formulas and external links have been converted to values in the section.

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