How to Format Relative References in Excel. Microsoft Excel relies on two fundamental reference types when addressing other cells. Absolute references -- which are denoted with a "$" -- lock a ...

Cells in Excel are referred to using relative or absolute references. A formula with relative references changes when the cell's position does.

TL;DR Key Takeaways : Excel tables handle structured references inconsistently, behaving as absolute when copied and as relative when dragged, which can lead to formula errors.

Referencing can become difficult, especially if you’re using structured referencing. Instead, reference a spill range so you can use the hashtag shortcut.