Formula Guide

The Excel ADDRESS Function
explained simply

ADDRESS builds a cell reference as text from a row and column number — the reverse of what ROW and COLUMN do.

ExcelPro · 4 min read · Updated June 2026
Contents
  1. What does ADDRESS do?
  2. Syntax
  3. 3 examples
  4. FAQ

What does ADDRESS do?

ADDRESS takes a row number and column number and returns the matching cell reference as text — for example, row 5, column 2 becomes the text "$B$5".

It is most useful combined with INDIRECT: ADDRESS builds the reference text, then INDIRECT turns that text into a working reference other formulas can use.

Syntax

=ADDRESS(row_num, column_num, [abs_num], [a1], [sheet_text])
ArgumentDescription
row_num requiredThe row number to use.
column_num requiredThe column number to use (A=1, B=2, etc).
abs_num optional1=absolute (default), 2=absolute row/relative column, 3=relative row/absolute column, 4=relative.
a1 optionalTRUE (default) for A1-style, FALSE for R1C1 style.
sheet_text optionalOptional sheet name to include in the result.

Examples

Example 1
Basic absolute reference
=ADDRESS(5,2)

Returns the text "$B$5".

Example 2
Relative reference
=ADDRESS(5,2,4)

Returns "B5" without dollar signs, since abs_num=4 makes it fully relative.

Example 3
Combine with INDIRECT to build a working reference
=INDIRECT(ADDRESS(5,2))

Builds the text "$B$5" then resolves it into an actual reference — equivalent to typing =B5 directly, but built dynamically from numbers.

Common mistakes

⚠️ Forgetting ADDRESS returns text, not a real reference

=ADDRESS(5,2) shown directly in a cell just displays "$B$5" as text — wrap it in INDIRECT if you need a working reference.

FAQ

When would I actually need ADDRESS?
Mainly inside more complex formulas that calculate row/column positions and need to build a reference dynamically, often paired with MATCH and INDIRECT.

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Related formulas

INDIRECT ROW COLUMN MATCH