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Many companies have the luxury of having years of financial data in their Excel sheets as well as code and other tools used to crunch the numbers of their financial reporting. While this is needed for creating financial reports, it will only serve to slow down the speed of the ESEF report conversion, which is why we recommend you use the template we provide.

In order to make sure that you do not need to enter numbers in several Excel workbooks (and have to double-check that everything is correct), you can set up links from your Excel file to our Excel template, so that the figures are transported automatically.

The only restriction to this process is that you must not change the SUM formulas used in the template. These cells are marked with green or yellow highlights and will calculate automatically.

Here is a brief guide on setting up links between two workbooks.

How to Link Cells Between Two Excel Workbooks

When you set up links between your own Excel workbook and the template we provided you with, you need to employ the following code:

=[Workbook_name]Sheet_name!Cell_address

After entering the relevant workbook name, sheet name and cell address in this formula, Excel will let you link to the specific file on your drive. Here is an example of how the formula looks after the link has been set up:

='C:\Users\Me\Desktop\[Figures.xlsx]Sheet1'!$H$12

Setting Up the Links

1. Open both your Excel file and our Excel template, ideally in side-by-side view makes this process a lot smoother, it's time to input the links.

2. The first time you input the code, do so using the formula below, replacing "sheet_name" with the name of the sheet in the workbook you are referring to and "cell_address" with the call address. When you press "Enter", a window will open requesting you to select the workbook you want to reference. Selecting the workbook will change the [workbook_name] part of the formula to the specific address for the workbook on your computer:

   =[Workbook_name]Sheet_name!Cell_address

3. Once the first cell is linked, copy and paste the formula to the other cells you want linked, making sure to update the sheet name and cell address accordingly.
4. While adding the links to the workbook, make sure not to change the fields in the Excel template containing SUM formulas (these calls are highlighted in green and yellow).
5. When everything has been linked, you can upload the template to the Workiva XBRL Converter and run a test conversion to make sure that everything works.

Note: When assisting you on support matters related to issues with specific figures, we may need you to also attach the workbook you are linking to in order to successfully troubleshoot your issue. W1e will let you know when and if this is the case.

The Benefits of Using Our Excel Template

• Increased conversion speed - The smaller the files you are trying to convert, the faster the conversion will happen. Because the template we create for you contains only the information needed to create the iXBRL file, you will see faster conversion times than if you were using your own heavier files.
• Better support - When we know all the elements in your file 100%, it is much easier for us to provide fast and efficient support.
• Enhanced security - Our file contains only the minimum data necessary to produce your iXBRL file; so by using our template you avoid sending us potentially sensitive data.