INDIRECT
Formulas / INDIRECTUses text to create references
=INDIRECT(ref_text, [a1])
- ref_text - The text with a reference in it
- a1 - [OPTIONAL] A boolean argument indicating whether A1 or R1C1 style reference should be used
Examples
=INDIRECT("A1")The INDIRECT function returns a reference as =A1. This means that it provides a reference to a specific cell in the spreadsheet, like the A1 cell. This can be helpful when you need to reference the same cell multiple times and don’t want to type out the reference every time. It is also useful for creating dynamic references.
=INDIRECT("R1C1",FALSE)The INDIRECT function returns a reference as =R1C1, which is a special type of reference that uses only numbers to specify the row and column in the spreadsheet. This is helpful if you have a large number of columns and don’t want to use alphabetic references. It is also useful if you are trying to reference a cell in a different sheet.
=INDIRECT(B5&"!A1")The INDIRECT function can also be used to concatenate the text in B5 with "!A1", creating a reference to the correct cell in the spreadsheet. This is helpful if you are looking to reference information from multiple sheets in a single formula.
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Summary
The INDIRECT function allows users to create a reference to a cell given a text string, without having to manually change the cell references in the original formula.
- The INDIRECT function returns a valid worksheet reference and may be useful for creating text values for use as a worksheet reference.
- However, INDIRECT is not recommended for large or complex worksheets. It is a volatile function, meaning INDIRECT can cause performance issues in large or complex worksheets and evaluates references it creates in real time.
- Note that INDIRECT displays the content of its reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the INDIRECT function do?
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