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ISREF

The ISREF formula is used to check if a value is a reference or not. It returns `TRUE` if the value is a reference and `FALSE` if it is not. This formula is commonly used in combination with other formulas that require a reference as input.

Usage

Use the ISREF formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter:

=ISREF(value)
Parameters:
  1. value (required):
    The value to check if it is a reference.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the ISREF formula in Google Sheets.

Check if cell contains a reference

You can use the ISREF formula to check if a cell contains a reference or not. This is useful when you want to perform different calculations based on whether a cell contains a reference or a value.

Determine if a range is a reference

You can use the ISREF formula to determine if a range is a reference or not. This is useful when you want to perform different calculations based on whether a range is a reference or a value.

Create dynamic formulas

You can use the ISREF formula to create dynamic formulas that change based on whether a cell or range is a reference or a value. This can be useful when you need to create a formula that works with both references and values.

Common Mistakes

ISREF not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the ISREF Google Sheets Formula:

Using a value that is not a reference

ISREF function only works with references. If a non-reference value is used as input, the formula will return FALSE.

Using a range as input

ISREF function only works with single references. If a range of cells is used as input, the formula will return FALSE.

Incorrect syntax

Make sure the syntax of the formula is correct. The ISREF function only takes one argument, which should be a reference.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to ISREF or are often used with it in a formula:

  • CELL

    The CELL formula returns information about the formatting, location, or contents of a cell. The type of information returned depends on the value of the info_type argument.

  • TYPE

    The TYPE formula in Google Sheets is used to determine the data type of the specified value. The result will be a number that corresponds to the data type, with 1 being a number, 2 being text, 3 being a logical value (TRUE or FALSE), 4 being an error value, 5 being a range, 6 being an array, and 7 being a cell reference. This formula is commonly used in conjunction with other formulas that require a certain data type as input.

  • INDIRECT

    The INDIRECT formula is used to return a cell reference specified by a string. This can be useful when you need to dynamically reference a cell based on the value in another cell. The INDIRECT formula can also be used to reference cells in other sheets or workbooks.

  • ADDRESS

    The ADDRESS formula in Google Sheets returns a cell reference as a string, given the row and column numbers. It can also return an absolute or relative reference, and can include sheet name in the reference. This formula is most commonly used to create dynamic references in other formulas or to create a cell reference based on certain criteria.

Learn More

You can learn more about the ISREF Google Sheets function on Google Support.