How to Copy Two Linked Excel Worksheets in WPS Office and Preserve Formulas
Question details
The user wants to duplicate two connected Excel worksheets as a pair so that formulas referencing the copied sheets stay intact and point to the new sheet pair.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A workbook contains two worksheets with cross-sheet formulas, and the user needs to copy both sheets together to preserve those references.
- Observed behavior
- Copying sheets individually can leave formulas pointing to the original sheets; grouping the tabs before copying lets the spreadsheet application adjust references to the copied sheets.
Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets and identify the two sheet tabs that contain cross-sheet references. If you are copying to another workbook, open or create that destination workbook before starting.
Group the Two Sheet Tabs and Use Move or Copy
Use this to duplicate two linked worksheets together so cross-sheet formulas automatically adjust to the copied sheets.
Grouping the tabs makes WPS Office Spreadsheets treat the selected sheets as a unit during the copy operation. When the copy is created, formulas that reference the original sheet pair are updated to reference the newly copied sheet pair.
Click the tab of the first worksheet you want to copy.
Hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click the second worksheet tab so both tabs are selected.
Right-click either selected tab and choose Move or Copy from the context menu.
Check Create a copy, choose the destination workbook or position from the dropdown, and click OK.
Immediately click a different sheet tab to ungroup the selected sheets before entering data.
Copy Linked Worksheets in WPS Office Without Breaking Formulas
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets to group connected sheets and duplicate them with Move or Copy. The familiar worksheet tab controls keep cross-sheet formulas pointing to the new copies, so you can reuse workbook structures quickly.
- 1. Open your workbook: Launch WPS Office and open the Excel-compatible workbook that contains the two linked worksheets.
- 2. Group the linked worksheets: Hold Ctrl and select both worksheet tabs that contain cross-sheet references.
- 3. Copy the grouped worksheets: Right-click a selected tab, choose Move or Copy, enable Create a copy, select the destination, and click OK.
- 4. Ungroup and continue: Click a different sheet tab to ungroup, then enter or edit data safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I group two Excel worksheets before copying them?
Grouping makes WPS Office Spreadsheets treat the selected sheets as a unit. When you use Move or Copy on grouped tabs, formulas that reference those sheets are adjusted to point to the new copied sheets instead of the original pair.
Can I copy two linked worksheets to another workbook in WPS Office?
Yes. Group the two sheet tabs, right-click one selected tab, choose Move or Copy, enable Create a copy, and select the destination workbook from the dropdown before clicking OK.
What happens if I forget to ungroup the copied sheets?
If you keep the sheets grouped, any data you enter in one copied sheet may also be entered in the other selected sheet. Click a different sheet tab immediately after copying to ungroup them.
Does the copied pair keep formulas that reference each other?
Yes. When you copy grouped worksheets with cross-sheet references, WPS Office Spreadsheets updates the references so formulas continue to work between the new copied sheets.
Do I need to manually edit formulas after copying grouped worksheets?
Usually no. Because both sheets are copied as a group, the spreadsheet application adjusts internal references automatically. Check formulas after copying if your workbook also references sheets outside the group.
