by Karyn Stille Show Excel uses two types of cell references to create formulas. Each has its own purpose. Read on to determine which type of cell reference to use for your formula. Relative Cell References This is the most widely used type of cell reference in formulas. Relative cell references are basic cell references that adjust and change when copied or when using AutoFill. Example: =SUM(B5:B8), as shown below, changes to =SUM(C5:C8) when copied across to the next cell.  Absolute Cell References Situations arise in which the cell reference must remain the same when copied or when using AutoFill. Dollar signs are used to hold a column and/or row reference constant. Example: In the example below, when calculating commissions for sales staff, you would not want cell B10 to change when copying the formula down. You want both the column and the row to remain the same to refer to that exact cell. By using $B$10 in the formula, neither changes when copied. A more complicated example: Let's pretend that you need to calculate the prices of items in stock with two different price discounts. Take a look at the worksheet below. Examine the formula in cell E4. By making the first cell reference $C4, you keep the column from changing when copied across, but allow the row to change when copying down to accommodate the prices of the different items going down. By making the last cell reference A$12, you keep the row number from changing when copied down, but allow the column to change and reflect discount B when copied across. Confused? Check out the graphics below and the cell results. Copied Across Copied Down Now, you might be thinking, why not just use 10% and 15% in the actual formulas? Wouldn't that be easier? Yes, if you are sure the discount percentages will never change - which is highly unlikely. It's more likely that eventually those percentages will need to be adjusted. By referencing the cells containing 10% and 15% and not the actual numbers, when the percentage changes all you need to do is change the percentage one time in cell A12 and/or B12 instead of rebuilding all of your formulas. Excel would automatically update the discount prices to reflect your discount percentage change. Summary of absolute cell reference uses:
There is a shortcut for placing absolute cell references in your formulas! When you are typing your formula, after you type a cell reference - press the F4 key. Excel automatically makes the cell reference absolute! By continuing to press F4, Excel will cycle through all of the absolute reference possibilities. For example, in the first absolute cell reference formula in this tutorial, =B4*$B$10, I could have typed, =B4*B10, then pressed the F4 key to change B10 to $B$10. Continuing to press F4 would have resulted in B$10, then $B10, and finally B10. Pressing F4 changes only the cell reference directly to the left of your insertion point. I hope this tutorial has made these cell reference types "absolutely" clear! Microsoft Office
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Excel for Microsoft 365 Excel for the web Excel 2021 Excel 2019 Excel 2016 Excel 2013 Excel Web App Excel 2010 Excel 2007 More...Less By default, a cell reference is a relative reference, which means that the reference is relative to the location of the cell. If, for example, you refer to cell A2 from cell C2, you are actually referring to a cell that is two columns to the left (C minus A)—in the same row (2). When you copy a formula that contains a relative cell reference, that reference in the formula will change. As an example, if you copy the formula =B4*C4 from cell D4 to D5, the formula in D5 adjusts to the right by one column and becomes =B5*C5. If you want to maintain the original cell reference in this example when you copy it, you make the cell reference absolute by preceding the columns (B and C) and row (2) with a dollar sign ($). Then, when you copy the formula =$B$4*$C$4 from D4 to D5, the formula stays exactly the same. Less often, you may want to mixed absolute and relative cell references by preceding either the column or the row value with a dollar sign—which fixes either the column or the row (for example, $B4 or C$4). To change the type of cell reference:
Need more help?Which character indicates absolute reference in Excel?In Excel, an absolute reference is a cell reference in which the column and row coordinates stay constant while copying a formula from one cell to the other. A dollar symbol ($) is used before the coordinates to correct them. For instance, $D$2 is an absolute reference to cell D2.
Which cell reference is used in absolute reference?Answer: An absolute cell reference is a cell address that contains a dollar sign ($) in the row or column coordinate, or both. When you enter a cell reference in a formula, Excel assumes it is a relative reference unless you change it to an absolute reference.
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