Table of Contents

Structured References

When working with tables in Excel you can use structured references to make your formulas easier to understand.

For example we have the following table.

Table in Excel

1. Select cell E1 type Bonus and press Enter. Excel automatically formats the column for you.

New Column

2. Select cell E2 and type =0.02*[

3. A list of structured references (the columns) appears. Select Sales from the list.

Structured References in Excel

4. Close with a square bracket and press Enter.

Result: Excel automatically copies the formula down the column for you.

Formula Copied

Note: click AutoCorrect Options and click Undo Calculated Column to only insert the formula into cell E2.

To refer to this table in a formula execute the following steps.

5. First select a cell inside the table. Next on the Table Design tab in the Properties group we can see that Table1 is the name of this table.

Table Name

6. Select cell E18 and enter the formula shown below.

Refer to Table in a Formula

Explanation: this formula calculates the sum of the Sales column. Enter =SUM(Table1[ and Excel will give you a list of structured references you can use. This formula updates automatically when you add or delete records.

Leave A Comment

Excel meets AI – Boost your productivity like never before!

At Formulas HQ, we’ve harnessed the brilliance of AI to turbocharge your Spreadsheet mastery. Say goodbye to the days of grappling with complex formulas, VBA code, and scripts. We’re here to make your work smarter, not harder.

Related Articles

The Latest on Formulas HQ Blog

An AI generated image of charts and spreadsheets presumably displaying the abilities of excel generators

Unlock Spreadsheet Superpowers: Top 5 AI Tools Transforming Excel & Sheets

In today’s busy world, being good at managing and understanding data is really important. Excel and Google Sheets are key tools for many people in different jobs, but sometimes, working [...]

BMI calculator in Excel

BMI calculator in Excel

Create a BMI calculator in Excel and find out if you are a healthy weight. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on weight and height that applies to adult men and women.

Conflicting Conditional Formatting Rules in Excel

Conflicting Conditional Formatting Rules in Excel

Sometimes multiple conditional formatting rules in Excel conflict. A higher rule always wins. This example illustrates two different results.

List of Holidays in Excel

List of Holidays in Excel

This example teaches you how to get the date of a holiday for any year (2024 2025 etc). If you are in a hurry simply download the Excel file.

How to use the Excel FILTER function

Use the magic FILTER function in Excel 365/2021 to extract records that meet certain criteria. The FILTER function is quite versatile.

Password Protect an Excel Macro

Just like you can password protect workbooks and worksheets you can password protect a macro in Excel from being viewed (and executed).

Featured image for counting blank and nonblank cells in Excel, showing a spreadsheet with highlighted sections for blank and nonblank cells and formulas like COUNTBLANK, COUNTA, and COUNTIFS.

Count Blank/Nonblank Cells in Excel

This example shows you how to count blank and nonblank cells in Excel.

Analysis ToolPak in Excel

The Analysis ToolPak is an Excel add-in program that provides data analysis tools for financial statistical and engineering data analysis.

Excel Quick Analysis tool highlighting totals, charts, and formatting options

Quick Analysis Tool in Excel

Use the Quick Analysis tool in Excel to quickly analyze your data. Calculate totals quickly insert tables, apply conditional formatting, and more.

Excel IRR calculation example for financial analysis

How to use the Excel IRR function

Use the IRR function in Excel to calculate a project's internal rate of return. The internal rate of return is the discount rate that makes the net present value equal to zero.

Update a Pivot Table in Excel

Any changes you make to the data set are not automatically picked up by a pivot table in Excel. Refresh the pivot table or change the data source to update the pivot table with the applied changes.

Consolidate Data in Excel

You can use Excel's Consolidate feature to consolidate your worksheets (located in one workbook or multiple workbooks) into one worksheet.

How to Sort by Date in Excel

This guide walks you through the steps to sort by date in Excel. It starts with how to convert text-formatted dates to actual date values followed by basic sorting methods and advanced techniques like sorting dates by month and sorting birthdays.