A great lot of functions exist in Microsoft Excel, some being easy-to-understand, other requiring a long learning curve, and the former being used more often than the latter. And yet, Excel INDIRECT is one of the kind. This Excel function does not perform any calculations, nor does it evaluate any conditions or logical tests.
Well then, what is the INDIRECT function in Excel and what do I use it for? This is a very good question and hopefully you will get a comprehensive answer in a few minutes when you've finished reading this tutorial.
Excel INDIRECT function - syntax and basic uses
Excel INDIRECT formula examples
Creating indirect references from cell values
References from cell values and text
INDIRECT with named ranges
Creating an Excel dynamic reference to another sheet
Making a dynamic reference to another workbook
Locking a cell reference
INDIRECT with other functions (ROW, ADDRESS, VLOOKUP)
INDIRECT & Excel Data Validation
Possible errors and issues in INDIRECT formulas
Excel INDIRECT function - syntax and basic uses
As its name suggests, Excel INDIRECT is used to indirectly reference cells, ranges, other sheets or workbooks. In other words, the INDIRECT function lets you create an Excel dynamic cell reference or range reference rather than "hard coding" those references into your formulas. As a result, you can change a cell reference within a formula without changing the formula itself. Moreover, these indirect references won't change when some new rows or columns are inserted in the worksheet or when you delete any existing ones.