Selecting cell ranges in Excel can sometimes be a real pain scrolling forever it seems. There is a quick and easy way to do it if you know the exact cell reference follow these simple steps.

1. Type the cell reference in the name box.
2. Press Enter.
3. The cell range is now selected.

Excel references cells using a column letter and a row number called A1 reference style, for example, the first cell at top left has the address A1.

Select a named range or Excel table

You can also use this technique to select named ranges and Excel defined tables, simply type the name of the named range or the name of the Excel defined Table to quickly move and select to that object.

The animated picture above demonstrates how to select an Excel defined Table using the name box.

Select a contiguous cell range

If you don't know the exact cell reference to a table or list simply press with left mouse button on a non-empty cell in the range you want to select and press CTRL + A.

This will select the cell range as long as it is a contiguous cell range, the above animated picture shows this technique.

Name a cell range

The name box allows you to quickly name a cell or cell range, this is useful if you often use a cell value in a formula.

Revenue2017 is easier to remember than cell reference AB153.

Link to cell range

Excel allows you to insert a hyperlink that points to a webpage, however, most people don't know that you can build a link that points to a cell range.

Here are the steps I made to build a hyperlink that selects cell range D3:F15:

1. Type Data in cell B2 and then press Enter.
2. Press with right mouse button on on cell B2 and select "Link"
   
3. Press with mouse on "Place in This Document"
   
4. Type D3:F15 in field "Type the cell reference:"
5. Press with left mouse button on OK button

The following post explains how to build a cell link using a formula that lets you instantly select a cell range or an Excel defined Table.

The advantage with formulas is that you can make them dynamic meaning they are instantly refreshed and updated if a cell value changes.

Recommended articles

Easily select data using hyperlinks
The image above shows two hyperlinks, the first hyperlink lets you select a data set automatically based on a dynamic […]

Excel basics category

How to use absolute and relative references
What is a reference in Excel? Excel has an A1 reference style meaning columns are named letters A to XFD […]

How to quickly select a non contiguous range
A non-contiguous list is a list with occasional blank cells and that makes it harder to select the entire cell […]

Remove print preview lines (Page Breaks)
Have you ever wondered how these lines got there on a worksheet? They show where pages will break, in other […]

Named range category

Create a dynamic named range
A dynamic named range grows automatically when new values are added and also shrinks if values are deleted. This saves […]

Populate drop down list with filtered Excel Table values
This article demonstrates how to populate a drop down list with filtered values from an Excel defined Table. The animated […]

Macro creates links to all sheets, tables, pivot tables and named ranges
This article demonstrates a macro that automatically populates a worksheet with a Table of Contents, it contains hyperlinks to worksheets, […]

Excel categories

Leave a Comment