Locking a Single Cell With Absolute References
Use $A$1 to keep a formula pointed at one fixed cell.
One Cell, Many Formulas
A very common need is to point lots of formulas at one shared value: a tax rate, an exchange rate, a target, or a fixed fee.
That single value lives in one cell, and every other formula must keep referring back to it no matter where it is copied. An absolute reference makes that possible.
What Absolute Means
An absolute reference uses a dollar sign before both the column and the row, like $A$1. It is fully locked.
Copy a formula containing $A$1 anywhere on the sheet and that part will always read cell A1. Only the unlocked references in the formula will move.
=$A$1All lessons in this course
- What the Dollar Sign Does
- Locking a Single Cell With Absolute References
- Mixed References for Tables
- Building a Multiplication Table