# INDIRECT

lookup · from excel · excel: not yet compared · sheets: not yet compared

returns reference specified by text string

## signature

```
INDIRECT(ref_text, [a1])
```

returns: `reference`

## arguments

- ref_text: text: required
- a1: boolean: optional

## examples

formula and result, asserted in the engine test suite.

| formula | result | with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `=INDIRECT("B2")` | `4` | B2=4 |
| `=INDIRECT("A" & ROW())` | `0` | none |

## errors

error values observed from the engine: each with a call that produces it.

| error | produced by |
| --- | --- |
| `#REF!` | `=INDIRECT(A1:A3)` |

## related

- [ADDRESS](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/address.md): returns a cell address as text from row and column numbers
- [AREAS](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/areas.md): returns the number of areas in a reference
- [HLOOKUP](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/hlookup.md): searches first row and returns matching value
- [HYPERLINK](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/hyperlink.md): the text a link displays: clickability is the renderer's
- [INDEX](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/index.md): returns value at row and column in range
- [LOOKUP](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/lookup.md): looks up value in one-row or one-column range
- [MATCH](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/match.md): returns position of value in a range
- [OFFSET](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/offset.md): returns reference offset from starting point

## navigate

- [all lookup functions](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/lookup-functions.md)
- [function index](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions.md): all 602 functions
- [error values](https://deepcalc.com/docs/errors.md) · [concepts](https://deepcalc.com/docs/concepts.md) · [limits](https://deepcalc.com/docs/limits.md)
- [everything in one file](https://deepcalc.com/llms-full.txt)

source: https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/indirect