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A completed report should not silently change when its source formulas recalculate. This exercise keeps Live and Report as two tabs in one Google spreadsheet. Download the fictional input CSV, expected frozen report CSV, and answer check.
1. Make the Live table
Import or paste the three source rows into a tab named Live. Use columns A through C for Workstream, Planned and Actual. Add Variance in D1. Enter the formula =C2-B2 in D2 and fill it down through D4. In row 5, use =SUM(B2:B4), =SUM(C2:C4) and =SUM(D2:D4) for planned, actual and variance totals.
Before copying, verify the totals: 24 planned, 25 actual, +1 variance. The three individual variances are +2, -1, 0.
2. Make a static snapshot in the same spreadsheet
Create a tab named Report in the same file. Copy Live!A1:D5, select Report!A1, then choose Edit > Paste special > Paste values only. Google's copy and paste help says this pastes the displayed values, rather than formulas, and that Paste special works only within a single spreadsheet.
The Report totals should initially match Live: 24, 25, +1. Click Report cells D2:D5. The formula bar should show fixed numbers, not formulas starting with an equals sign. A normal paste might look the same at first while leaving formulas active.
3. Prove the snapshot is frozen
On Live, change Workstream B's Actual value in C3 from 7 to 9. Live should now total 24 planned, 27 actual, +3 variance. The Report tab should still show 24, 25, +1. That deliberate change is the result check.
If Report also changes, inspect whether it contains formulas or links instead of pasted values. Repeat the copy and values-only paste into a fresh Report range. Do not overwrite the approved snapshot while diagnosing the source.
Use a dated report
Keep the Live calculation table editable. If the corrected live total is approved later, create a new dated snapshot rather than silently changing the earlier report. The answer check lists both states.
Google's Paste special instructions were checked 13 October 2026. Companion panels are illustrative diagrams. The fictional values-only workflow was reproduced in a private Google Sheet on 13 October 2026: Report contained literal values, and its totals stayed fixed after Live changed.
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