Parameters in Query Designer and Excel

When selection criteria is to be specified in Excel, parameters are added to a query as placeholders. A default parameter value may be defined in the query for testing purposes, and the actual criteria is specified in Excel at the time the formula is executed.

Query Designer

When a query is created or modified, it is standard practice to execute it in Query Designer, to test the results. When testing a query, parameter values are specified in the Parameters panel.

Excel

Query Designer queries are executed in Excel through formulas (GEXQ, GEXD, GEXS, GEXI, etc.). Each of these formulas contain arguments, where parameter values may be specified. These values may be hardcoded in the formula definition; however, it is recommended to use cell references.