Excel – R1C1 Reference Style vs. A1 (2024)

In Excel, R1C1 and A1 are two different reference styles used to identify cells in a worksheet. Note that the choice between A1 and R1C1 is largely a matter of personal preference. Most users are more familiar with A1 style, but R1C1 can be useful in certain situations, especially when working with formulas and calculations.

A1 Reference Style

This is the default reference style in Excel. In A1 style, columns are identified by letters (A, B, C, …, Z, AA, AB, …, ZZ, AAA, AAB, …), and rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3, …).For example, the cell in the first column and second row is referred to as A2.

R1C1 Reference Style

In R1C1 style, both rows and columns are identified by numbers. The letter “R” represents the row number, and the letter “C” represents the column number. For example, R2C1 refers to the cell in the second row and first column.

Any numbers in square brackets refer to relative distance from the current cell. Unlike A1 which refers to columns followed by row number, R1C1 does the opposite: rows followed by columns (which does take some getting used to). Positive numbers will refer to cells below and/or across to the right. Negative numbers will refer to cells above and/or to the left.

For example R[2]C[3] is a cell 2 rows down and 3 columns to the right. R[-1]C[-4] is a cell 1 row up and 4 columns to the left. If no number is shown in brackets then you are referring to the same row or column i.e. R[3]C will be a cell 3 rows below the current cell in the same column.

Comparison for R1C1 Reference Style and A1 Reference Style

Here’s a quick comparison:

A1 StyleR1C1 Style
A1R1C1
B3R3C2
G10R10C7
AA25R25C27

How to switch between R1C1 Reference Style and A1 Reference Style

You can switch between these reference styles in Excel settings. To change the reference style:

  1. Go to the “File” tab.
  2. Select “Options” at the bottom.
  3. In the Excel Options dialog box, go to the “Formulas” category.
  4. Under the “Working with formulas” section, check or uncheck the “R1C1 reference style” option.
  5. Click “OK” to apply the changes.

How to use R1C1 Reference Style and A1 Reference Style in Excel

The following example shows how to calculate the sum of two cell values in two styles.
A1 Reference Style:

R1C1 Reference Style:

Excel – R1C1 Reference Style vs. A1 (2024)

FAQs

Excel – R1C1 Reference Style vs. A1? ›

Unlike A1 which refers to columns followed by row number, R1C1 does the opposite: rows followed by columns (which does take some getting used to). Positive numbers will refer to cells below and/or across to the right. Negative numbers will refer to cells above and/or to the left.

What is the difference between A1 and R1C1 style? ›

Most of the time, columns are identified by letters (A, B, C), and rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3). In Excel, this is known as the A1 reference style. However, some prefer to use a different method where columns are also identified by numbers. This is known as the R1C1 reference style.

What is R1C1 reference style in Excel? ›

The R1C1 reference style is useful if you want to compute row and column positions in macros. In the R1C1 style, Excel indicates the location of a cell with an "R" followed by a row number and a "C" followed by a column number.

Is R1C1 better? ›

Once you have all the Offset functions in R1C1, you can remove duplicates and see the short list of unique functions. For each one you'll have to create the equivalent formula using Index and run replace all. It requires more work, but the improvement in speed and responsiveness is well worth the effort.

What is A1 in Excel? ›

The default reference style By default, Excel for the web uses the A1 reference style, which refers to columns with letters (A through XFD, for a total of 16,384 columns) and refers to rows with numbers (1 through 1,048,576). These letters and numbers are called row and column headings.

How do I change from R1C1 to A1 in Excel? ›

How to switch between R1C1 Reference Style and A1 Reference Style
  1. Go to the “File” tab.
  2. Select “Options” at the bottom.
  3. In the Excel Options dialog box, go to the “Formulas” category.
  4. Under the “Working with formulas” section, check or uncheck the “R1C1 reference style” option.
  5. Click “o*k” to apply the changes.

What is R1C1 reference style relative? ›

A cell reference of the R1C1 style is a combination of “R” followed by the row number and “C” followed by the column number. A relative reference to the cell one row down and two columns to the left of the cell that contains the formula.

What are the 4 types of cell references in Excel? ›

You learned that cell references can be relative, absolute or mixed. The type you use in a formula is important, as each behaves differently when copied or moved. You learned that relative cell references change based on where you copy them and that absolute references do not change.

What is the shortcut for R1C1 reference style? ›

Thus, for R1C1 reference style, ALT+T,O,Down,Alt+R. Instead of Down key, pressing F also works when shifting to [Formulas] submenu in the [Excel Options] window.

How do you use R1C1 in indirect? ›

If you type =INDIRECT(“A1”), Excel shows you the contents of cell A1. If you enter =INDIRECT(“A1”, FALSE), Excel expects the reference to be in the R1C1 style.

Why is R better than Excel? ›

It is very well known that Excel has a data storage limitation per spreadsheet. It can have a very limited amount of columns and rows, while R is made to handle larger data sets. Excel files are also known to crash when they exceed 20 tabs of data. Excel is able to handle a good chunk of data, but not much.

What is better than Xlookup? ›

Here are some key differences to consider: Compatibility. The INDEX MATCH formula works well in any version of Excel, making it a reliable and widely used option. The XLOOKUP function is only available for Excel 365 and Excel 2021 users; it is not backward compatible with older versions.

How do you convert a cell address to R1C1? ›

You can switch your cell references to the R1C1 notation from the Excel Options dialog box. Select the Formulas tab and scroll down to the "Working with formulas" heading. Select the "R1C1 reference style" checkbox. Changing to R1C1 notation will not change the formulas.

How does R1C1 work in Excel? ›

R1C1 is the other type of reference style that you can use in Excel. Here, R refers to the Row and C refers to the column, so R1C1 would refer to the cell in the first row and first column. Similarly, R2C3 would refer to the cell in the second row and third column.

What does proper A1 do in Excel? ›

The PROPER Function[1] is categorized under Excel Text functions. PROPER will capitalize the first letter in a text string and any other letters in text that follow any character other than a letter.

What is the correct formula to reference cell A1 Excel? ›

To do this, you'll simply need to begin the cell reference with the worksheet name followed by an exclamation point (!). For example, if you wanted to reference cell A1 on Sheet1, its cell reference would be Sheet1! A1.

How do you convert A1 to R1C1? ›

If you write the formulas in A1 format in a cell. Then select option from the MS Button in the upper left corner. Select formulas, check the box for R1C1. Close the options.

What does R1C1 mean in VBA? ›

The R1C1 reference works with relative positioning: R marks the Row, C the Column and the numbers that follow R and C are either relative positions (between [ ]) or absolute positions (no [ ]). Examples: R[2]C refers to the cell two rows below the cell in which the formula's in.

What is the difference between the three types of cell referencing? ›

You learned that cell references can be relative, absolute or mixed. The type you use in a formula is important, as each behaves differently when copied or moved. You learned that relative cell references change based on where you copy them and that absolute references do not change.

What is the difference between Patek Philippe 5711 1A 010 and 001? ›

The difference between Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-001 and 5711/1A-010 is the “bracelet”. The big difference between Nautilus 5711/1A-001 and 5711/1A-010 is the series connection parts of the bracelet.

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