What is the INDIRECT Function in MS Excel?

This function in Excel cannot be used for the evaluation of logical conditions or tests. Calculations cannot be performed through this function. This function is used to lock a formula in the specific cell.

Purpose of INDIRECT Function in MS Excel

The purpose of the INDIRECT function in Excel is to return the reference to a range with the help of a given text string. When you want to use a text value as a valid reference, the INDIRECT function will be used. It is used to change the reference to the cell without the need to change the formula itself.

Syntax of INDIRECT Function

The syntax of the INDIRECT function in MS Excel is as follows.

=INDIRECT (ref_text, [a1])

Arguments

The arguments used in this function are described below.

Ref_text: this is the reference that is given in the form of a text.

A1: this is an optional argument. This is the type of reference to be used. There are two reference types in Excel. One is known as A1 and the other is R1C1.

If the value of a1 is TRUE, this means the A1 style is used. If the value of a1 is FALSE, this means the R1C1 reference is used.

Examples

= INDIRECT (A3)

In this example, the value in the reference cell A3 will actually be the value in the cell B3.