Switch between relative, absolute, and mixed references
- Select the cell that contains the formula that you want to copy.
- On the
Hometab, in theClipboardgroup, clickCopy. - Do one of the following:
- To paste the formula and any formatting, on the
Hometab, in theClipboardgroup, clickPaste. - To paste the formula only, on the
Hometab, in theClipboardgroup, clickPaste, clickPaste Special, and then clickFormulas.
Note You can paste only the formula results. On the
Hometab, in theClipboardgroup, clickPaste, clickPaste Special, and then clickValues. - To paste the formula and any formatting, on the
- Verify that the cell references in the formula produce the result that you want. If necessary, switch the type of reference:
-
- Select the cell that contains the formula.
- In the formula bar
, select the reference that you want to change.
- Press F4 to switch between the combinations.
The following table summarizes how a reference type updates if a formula containing the reference is copied two cells down and two cells to the right.
For a formula being copied: If the reference is: It changes to:
$A$1 (absolute column and absolute row) $A$1 A$1 (relative column and absolute row) C$1 $A1 (absolute column and relative row) $A3 A1 (relative column and relative row) C3
Note You can also copy formulas into adjacent cells by using the fill handle
.