Cell references in Excel are like addresses that point to specific cells. Three types of Excel cell references are relative, absolute, and mixed, each with unique functions.

Q: My partner says there’s an F4 shortcut to creating absolute cell references in Excel formulas, but for the life of me I can’t make it work.

TL;DR Key Takeaways : Excel tables handle structured references inconsistently, behaving as absolute when copied and as relative when dragged, which can lead to formula errors.