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Turning a relative reference into an absolute reference in Excel is all about a click. Step 1) Launch the formula by double-clicking the cell that contains it (or go to the formula bar). Step 2) Within the formula, go to the cell reference that you want to convert to absolute.
To create an absolute reference in Excel, add $ symbols to a cell or range reference. This locks the reference. When you copy a formula, an absolute reference never changes.
Press F4 to switch between the reference types. The table below summarizes how a reference type updates if a formula containing the reference is copied two cells down and two cells to the right. Use absolute or relative cell references in formulas, or a mix of both.
To use an absolute reference in Excel, you will need to understand the difference between relative and absolute references. A relative reference changes when you copy it, while an absolute reference remains the same. Here’s how to make an absolute reference:
Change a cell reference from relative (default) to absolute to maintain the original cell reference when you copy it. Maintain cell reference by putting a dollar sign ($) before the cell and column references.
An Absolute Reference is a cell reference that is prefixed by a dollar sign ($). Every cell reference comprises a column letter and a row number, so a dollar sign may be placed in front of either component, or both or neither, to make it absolute (to fix it in place).
An absolute reference in Excel allows you to lock a specific cell or range of cells so that it doesn’t change when you copy a formula to another cell. You simply use the dollar sign ($) before the column letter and row number.