OFFSET

• How to use OFFSET formula?
• Examples of using OFFSET formula
• OFFSET formula not working?
• Similar formulas to OFFSET

Usage

Use the OFFSET formula with the syntax shown below, it has 3 required parameters and 2 optional parameters:

=OFFSET(cell_reference, offset_rows, offset_columns, [height], [width])

1. cell_reference (required):
   The starting cell reference from which the offset is measured. This can be any valid cell reference.
2. offset_rows (required):
   The number of rows to offset from the starting cell reference. This value can be positive or negative, and can be an expression or a reference to another cell.
3. offset_columns (required):
   The number of columns to offset from the starting cell reference. This value can be positive or negative, and can be an expression or a reference to another cell.
4. height (optional):
   Optional. The height of the range of cells to return. Defaults to 1 if not specified.
5. width (optional):
   Optional. The width of the range of cells to return. Defaults to 1 if not specified.

Examples

Creating dynamic ranges

By using the OFFSET formula with a dynamic range reference, you can create a range that automatically expands or contracts as data is added or removed from a sheet.

Navigating large datasets

The OFFSET formula can be used to navigate large datasets by returning a range of cells that is a specified number of rows and columns away from a starting cell reference.

Referencing non-contiguous ranges

By using multiple OFFSET formulas with different starting cell references, you can create a non-contiguous range reference that can be used in other formulas and functions.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect cell reference

One common mistake is to provide an incorrect cell reference as the first argument. Double check that the cell reference is correct and points to the desired cell.

Missing arguments

Another common mistake is to forget to provide all the required arguments. Make sure to include the cell reference, offset rows and columns, and optionally the height and width.

Using hard-coded values instead of references

It's important to use cell references instead of hard-coded values when using the OFFSET formula. Hard-coding values can lead to errors when the data changes.

Using negative values for height or width

The height and width arguments should be positive numbers. Using negative values will result in an error.

Overlapping ranges

Be careful not to create overlapping ranges when using the OFFSET formula. This can lead to unexpected results.

Related Formulas

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

• INDEX

  The INDEX formula in Google Sheets is used to return a value or reference of a cell at the intersection of a specified row and column in a given range. The formula is commonly used to lookup and retrieve values from a table or range of cells.

• MATCH

  The MATCH formula is used to search for a specified value within a range and returns the relative position of the value within the range. This formula is commonly used in conjunction with the INDEX formula to retrieve a value from a specific cell in a range. The search_type parameter is optional and determines the type of match to be performed, such as exact match, less than, or greater than.

• VLOOKUP

  The VLOOKUP function is a lookup formula used to search for a value in the first column of a range of cells (the search key) and return a value in the same row from a specified column in that range. This function is most commonly used to look up and retrieve data from a table.

• HLOOKUP

  The HLOOKUP function is a lookup formula that searches for a key in the top row of a table and returns the value in the same column for a specified row. This function is commonly used to extract data from a table based on a specific criteria.

Learn More

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