Level 1Formulas & ReferencesReading, 4 min
Relative vs. absolute references
Copy =A1+B1 from C1 down to C2 and it becomes =A2+B2. References are relative: they shift with the formula. That's usually what you want.
Sometimes one cell should never move, like an interest or tax rate. Add $ to lock it:
| Reference | Column | Row |
|---|---|---|
C2 | moves | moves |
$C2 | locked | moves |
C$2 | moves | locked |
$C$2 | locked | locked |
Tip: with your cursor on a reference, press F4 to cycle through these.