INDIRECT for dynamic references in Excel - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This data shows cell A1 containing a text reference 'B2'. Cells B2, B3, C2, and C3 contain numbers.

Cell	Value
A1	B2
B2	100
B3	200
C2	300
C3	400

Formula Trace

=INDIRECT(A1)

Step 1: A1

Step 2: INDIRECT("B2")

Cell Reference Map

    A     B     C
1 | B2  |     |     
2 |     | 100 | 300
3 |     | 200 | 400

A1 -> "B2" text
INDIRECT uses A1's text to get value from B2

Cell A1 contains the text 'B2'. The INDIRECT function uses this text to get the value from cell B2.

Result

    A     B     C
1 | B2  |     |     
2 |     | 100 | 300
3 |     | 200 | 400

Result of =INDIRECT(A1) is 100

The formula INDIRECT(A1) returns 100 because A1 contains 'B2' and B2 holds 100.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What value does INDIRECT(A1) return if A1 contains 'B2' and B2 has 100?

A 200

B B2

C 100

D Error

Key Result

INDIRECT converts a text string into a cell reference and returns the value at that reference.