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External References in Excel Formulas to link Spreadsheets on Box for Multiple Users

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Joel Putnam
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This is a long shot, but I feel like it should be possible somehow. Excel has the ability to look into other excel spreadsheets via what's called external links. You can use them to pull information from one excel spreadsheet into another. But even if the file is shared on Box, those links typically use the local file path on your computer (Eg. "C:\Users\YourName\Box\SharedFolder\Worksheet.xlsx") but that location is different on every computer, or at least for every user. I understand that you can also use URLs for files that are online somehow. Is there a way via Box plugin to office or similar to make the link in Excel be to an online, static file location or a relative link to the root of the Box drive rather than to the local file path of the synced file (or the temporary one from opening via web interface?)

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7 comments

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  • Rona

    Hi Joel, 

    Welcome to Box Community! 

    Let me open a new case in regards to this query. And someone from Box Product Support wil reach out so please keep an eye to your email. 

    Thanks for posting! 

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  • Julius Kellinghusen

    Same question! Was there a resolution?

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  • Amy Beard

    I have the same issue- what is the update

     

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  • Bruce Cao

    Same issue - @Support can you post the results of this onto this community forum? It defeats the purpose of the forum if information like this is not shared either here or in a KB of sorts.

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  • JD Bergeron

    Hi Bruce Cao - I'm not tech support, but all my research led me to understand that this simply is not possible in the hosted version of Excel within Box. Seems files need to be managed outside of Box in order to maintain this functionality. 

    JD

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  • Joel Putnam

    FWIW the ticket that was created got derailed a bit by me when in the process we came across an actual technical support question. However before then I was advised to submit a feature request via "Pulse" which it looks a like a few people have done, like the one here: External references between Excel files saved in Box by URL. – Customer Feedback for Box

    One suggested workaround was moving the Box folder to something outside of Users, but of course that would break any existing links: Configuring the Default Box Drive Folder Location – Box Support. Box's advice for migrating to this system basically amounts to "idk fix 'em one at a time I guess"

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  • Bruce Cao

    JD Bergeron - that's what I've been gathering as well. Thanks for your input
    Joel Putnam - I reached out to Box Support and they linked me to that 2nd link you shared. Makes me hesitant to fully move to Box given the lack of a real solution and the fixing of each excel one-by-one. The first link is nice to see on their radar but, unfortunately, no action on it and not on the roadmap yet. Thanks for your insights.

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