OFFSET Function in Excel: Explained

In this article you will learn how to use the OFFSET formula in Excel.

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What does the OFFSET Formula do?

The OFFSET formula in Excel is a powerful function that allows you to reference a cell or range of cells that is a specified number of rows and columns away from a starting cell or range. You can use the OFFSET formula in a variety of ways, such as to dynamically reference ranges based on the value of a cell or to create dynamic named ranges.

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Where is the OFFSET Function in Excel useful?

The OFFSET formula in Excel is a powerful tool that allows you to dynamically reference a range of cells in a worksheet. Some of its common applications include:

1. Creating dynamic ranges and charts: OFFSET can be used to create a range of cells or a dynamic chart that adjusts automatically as new data is added to a worksheet.
2. Summing a range of cells: You can use OFFSET to sum a range of cells based on a dynamic starting point and length.
3. Moving or copying data: OFFSET can be used to move or copy data within a worksheet.
4. Building interactive dashboards: You can use OFFSET to build interactive dashboards that allow users to select different data ranges or periods.

Overall, the OFFSET formula is a versatile and useful tool for working with dynamic data in Excel.

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How to use the OFFSET formula in Excel?

Please see below for the Syntax to using the OFFSET function:

=OFFSET(reference,rows, cols,[height],[width])

reference: This is the starting cell or range from which you want to offset. It can be either a cell reference or a named range.

rows: This is the number of rows that you want to offset from the starting cell or range. It can be a positive or negative number.

cols: This is the number of columns that you want to offset from the starting cell or range. It can be a positive or negative number.

[height]: This is an optional argument that specifies the height of the range that you want to return. If omitted, the range will have the same height as the reference range.

[width]: This is an optional argument that specifies the width of the range that you want to return. If omitted, the range will have the same width as the reference range.

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Note 1: Reference must refer to a cell or range of adjacent cells; otherwise, OFFSET returns the #VALUE! error value.

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Note 2: Height and Width must be positive numbers

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Here's an example of how to use the OFFSET formula:

Suppose you have a table of data in cells B2:D10, and you want to reference a range that starts one rows below cell B2 and two rows to the right side extends for four rows and one columns. You could use the following formula:

=OFFSET(B2,1,2,4,1)

This formula would return the range of cells D3:D6, which is one row below B2 and two columns on the right and has the same width (1 column) and height (4 rows) as the specified arguments.

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You can learn about other Excel and Google Sheets formulas and tips that are not mentioned here on this page: LiveFlow‘s How to Guides