---
title: "Defining Outareas"
description: "Outareas provide the database for the tables in result documents and define the cell areas of an MS Excel table that can be used for exporting into an MS Word file. An MS Excel file can contain multiple Outareas."
source_url: https://support.lucanet.cloud/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/define-outareas
language: en
last_updated: 2023-08-16
---
# Defining Outareas

## Overview

**Outareas** provide the database for the tables in result documents and define the cell areas of an Excel table that can be used for exporting into a Word file. An Excel file can contain multiple Outareas.

## Notation of Outareas in MS Excel

{% idea-box %}
- The name of **outareas** always begins with **outarea**.
- Outareas **can** be extended by a name and a language addition. Name and language extensions are always preceded by an underscore (**\_**), for example **outarea_P&L_en**.
- All names that begin with **outarea** are interpreted as an outarea and can be inserted in MS Word.
{% /idea-box %}

## Creating Outareas

To create an outarea in an Excel file:

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
In MS Excel, select the cells that are to define the new outarea.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
You have two options for inserting an Outarea:
 - In the Excel ribbon, click **Insert** and choose **Insert Outarea** from the menu.\
\

Inserting an Outarea via the Excel ribbon

 - Open the context menu by right-clicking it and choose **Disclosure Management | Insert Outarea**.

Inserting an Outarea via the context menu
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
If you're editing a monolingual document, the new outarea will be inserted. If you're editing a multilingual document, the **New Outarea** wizard will be displayed:

'New Outarea' dialog

{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
If applicable, enter a name extension for the outarea in the **outarea\_** input field.

{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
If necessary, select a language code from the drop-down list. The drop-down list displays the language codes for the document languages created so far.

{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Save**.

{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}
{% info-box %}
If an Outarea already exists in an Excel file, the **Insert Additional Outarea** menu command will be displayed in the context menu of the **Insert** button and in the **Disclosure Management** context menu.

Creating an additional Outarea using the 'Insert' button
{% /info-box %}

## Moving an Outarea

Outareas can be moved within an Excel file at any time. To move an Outarea:

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
Select the cells where an existing Outarea is to be moved to.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Open the **Disclosure Management** context menu by right-clicking it.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
In the context menu, choose **Disclosure Management | Move Outarea**.

Moving an Outarea

{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}
## Renaming or Deleting Outareas

The easiest way to delete and rename an Outarea is by using the Excel Name Manager. To do so, click **Name Manager** in the **Excel ribbon**.

Opening the Name Manager from the Excel ribbon

In the Name Manager, you can edit the name of an Outarea or delete an Outarea. You can find out more about working with the Excel Name Manager in [Creating and Editing Names and Name Extensions in Excel](https://support.lucanet.cloud/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/excel-files-disclmgmt/setup-excel-file.md).

{% warning-box %}
After inserting a table from MS Excel in MS Word, the two files will be linked. If the name of the Outarea is changed via the Name Manager or the Outarea is deleted, the link will no longer exist. Data from MS Excel will then **no longer be displayed in the Word file**.

When checking in an Excel file, you will be notified if this is the case. You can then cancel the check-in process and undo the change.
{% /warning-box %}