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Review the PDF behind an Excel value

A source reference records where an extracted value came from. PDFind checks the current cell before offering navigation back to that source.

Return to the original document

  1. Open PDFind in the workbook containing the extracted data.
  2. Select a cell filled by PDFind to reopen the attached PDF at the recorded page and highlighted area.
  3. You can also open i → Sources and choose Cell or PDF to navigate.

Understand the source status

Cell changed
The cell no longer contains the value PDFind recorded. Source navigation is disabled so the original PDF is not presented as proof of the edited value.
Not verified
PDFind cannot currently verify the cell. Check the workbook and source before relying on the value.
PDF missing
The source document is unavailable. Reopen the correct PDF and check your Microsoft file access.
Different PDF / Ambiguous PDF name
The document does not match the recorded source, or its name is not enough to identify it. A file with the same name is not necessarily the same PDF.

After editing, sorting or copying cells

Source references do not reliably move with values when you sort or copy cells. Review the source status after reorganizing imported data. Swapping identical values cannot be detected from their contents alone.

A value typed manually during template review may be labelled Typed in review and have no PDF source area. A source link is a review aid, not a guarantee that every workbook value is verified.

Share a workbook for review

Save the workbook and its attached source documents. The reviewer needs Microsoft permission to open the PDFs as well as the workbook; sharing the workbook alone does not share its source files. A PDFind licence does not grant document access.

If a PDF is marked session-only, it has not been persistently saved. Resolve storage access before handing the workbook to someone else. See account and document-access help.

Where the documents are stored

PDFind uses workbook-specific folders in Microsoft storage. PDF processing runs inside the Office task pane. The security page explains storage, permissions and the information used by licensing and telemetry.