1. Enter the cell reference: In your formula, start by typing the cell reference you want to make absolute (e.g., B2).

2. Press F4: Once you've entered the cell reference, press the F4 key on your keyboard.

Observing the Change:

With each press of F4, Excel cycles through different absolute and relative reference combinations for the chosen cell. Here's what you'll see:

* First press (default): No change. The cell reference remains relative (e.g., B2).
* Second press: An absolute dollar sign appears before the column letter, making the column absolute ($B2). This means the formula will always reference column B regardless of where it's copied.
* Third press: An absolute dollar sign appears before both the column letter and row number ($B$2). Now, the entire cell reference is absolute, and the formula will always target cell B2 specifically, no matter where it's copied in the worksheet.
* Fourth press and onwards: The cycle repeats, returning to the relative reference (B2) and then progressing through the absolute variations again.

Choosing the Right Absolute Reference:

* Absolute reference ($B$2): Use this when you want the formula to always refer to a specific cell location, even when copied to different parts of the worksheet.
* Column absolute reference ($B2): This is useful if you want the formula to maintain the reference to a specific column but allow adjustments to the row number when copied down.
* Row absolute reference (B$2): Use this when you want the formula to maintain the reference to a specific row but allow adjustments to the column letter when copied across.

Tips:

* You can continue pressing F4 to cycle through the options until you see the desired absolute reference format.
* Typing the formula and then using F4 is generally faster than manually adding dollar signs.
* Absolute references can be helpful to avoid errors when copying formulas across rows or columns.