A snip links a cell in Excel to an area of a document. You draw a frame on the document, Blast Audit writes the value into the selected cell and colours the cell, and the link stays in the workbook so a reviewer can click the cell to see the source.
Snip types
All snip tools are on the Blast Audit tab of the ribbon.
| Snip | What it does | Shortcut (Windows / Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Text Snip | Copies the text in the frame into the cell. | Ctrl+= / Cmd+= |
| Sum Snip | Adds up every amount in the frame and writes the total. | Ctrl+[ / Cmd+[ |
| Table Snip | Copies a table into a block of cells. See Table snip. | Ctrl+M / Cmd+M |
| Validation Snip | Marks the cell as verified (✓). | Ctrl+, / Cmd+, |
| Exception Snip | Flags an issue on the cell (✗). | Ctrl+. / Cmd+. |
Shortcuts work when the Blast Audit pane has focus. Press ? in the viewer to see the full list.
Create a snip
- Click the cell in Excel where the value should go.
- Open the document in the viewer (Documents on the ribbon).
- Choose a snip tool on the ribbon or with its shortcut.
- Drag a frame around the value on the page.
The value goes into the cell, the cell takes the colour of that snip type, and the snip appears on the document.
Useful details:
- If you forgot to select a cell, the viewer shows "Select a cell in Excel first."
- If the cell already has a snip, Blast Audit asks before replacing it (Replace).
- To attach several snips to the same cell, hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) while you draw them.
- Auto-advance moves the Excel selection down or right after each snip, so you can snip a column of values without clicking each cell. Turn it on in the viewer's ⋯ menu or with Auto Advance on the ribbon.
- Press Esc to leave the current tool.
See what a sum snip adds up
A sum snip writes a formula that lists every amount it found, for example =100+250-30. Click the cell and read the formula bar: each number is one amount from the frame, and negative amounts are subtracted. The total is rounded to 2 decimals.
If the list would be longer than Excel allows (8,192 characters), the cell gets the total only.
A sum snip adds one currency only. If the frame contains amounts in several currencies, Blast Audit refuses the snip and names them. Draw a frame around one currency at a time.
Validation and exception snips
On an empty cell, a validation snip shows ✓ and an exception snip shows ✗. On a cell that already holds a value, the value stays and the mark is added to its display, so your formulas keep working.
Go from a cell to its source
Click a cell that has a snip: the viewer opens the document at that snip. Click a cell without a snip: the viewer searches the documents for the cell's value.
Edit, copy and delete snips
- Delete: select the snip on the document and press Delete.
- Undo: press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z), or use Undo last delete in the viewer's ⋯ menu.
- Restore an older deletion: Snip recycle bin in the ⋯ menu, then Restore. Snips removed because their sheet was deleted never go to the bin: see Keep snips and links when you move, copy or rename a sheet.
- Reference the same source in another cell: select the snip, press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C), select the other cell and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V).
Snip colours
Change the colour of each snip type with Snip colors… in the viewer's ⋯ menu. An administrator can set and lock the colours for the whole organization on the Snip Colors page of the dashboard.
Share your evidence as PDF
To give a reviewer the documents with the snips drawn on them:
- One document: on the Documents page, click the ⋮ button at the end of its row, then Export annotated PDF.
- Several documents: select them, then ⋯ > Export annotated PDFs (ZIP) in the selection bar.