A cell reference is simply a way of identifying a specific cell in your spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel relies on two fundamental reference types when addressing other cells. Absolute references -- which are denoted with a "$" -- lock a reference, so it will not change when copying ...

Q: My partner says there’s an F4 shortcut to creating absolute cell references in Excel formulas, but for the life of me I can’t make it work. What am I doing wrong? A: Your partner is right, but ...

Cells in Excel are referred to using relative or absolute references. A formula with relative references changes when the cell's position does. If, for example, a cell has a formula "=A1" ...

Each cell in a worksheet has a unique reference that describes its position – for example A1. In a spreadsheet, there are two types of cell reference – 'relative cell reference' and 'absolute ...

When you start with a reference to cell A1 and drag your formula down, Excel updates the reference to A2, A3, and so on. ... Use Absolute and Relative References.

Because it’s easier to copy formulas than re-enter formulas, use the Absolute/Relative Reference function key F4 to hardcode the B (absolute) in this formula so it never changes when it’s copied.

Instead, you must create an “absolute reference,” followed by a “relative reference.” Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. The next step covers how to do it.