Named Cells and Ranges

Each cell in a spreadsheet has a unique name, called a cell reference, which is made up of a letter (for the column) and a number (for the row). For example, the cell in column A and row 1 is called A1.

There are two key ideas to understand:

Cell Naming

You can give a cell or a group of cells a custom name instead of using the usual reference like A1 or B2. For example, if you have a cell where you enter a price, you could name it “Price” instead of just using its default reference. This makes formulas easier to read and understand!

Cell Ranges

Sometimes you need to work with multiple cells at once. A range is a selection of cells. Instead of listing each cell separately, spreadsheets use a shortcut: it names a range using the first and last cell in the selection, separated by a colon (:). For example, A1:A5 means all the cells from A1 to A5 in a column. If it were A1:C3, it would mean all the cells inside that rectangle from A1 to C3.

Summary

Naming cells makes spreadsheets easier to understand.

Cell ranges let you select multiple cells at once for formulas and formatting.