How to Format Relative References in Excel. Microsoft Excel relies on two fundamental reference types when addressing other cells. Absolute references -- which are denoted with a "$" -- lock a ...

Cells in Excel are referred to using relative or absolute references. A formula with relative references changes when the cell's position does.

Referencing can become difficult, especially if you’re using structured referencing. Instead, reference a spill range so you can use the hashtag shortcut.

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.