Absolute vs Relative References

Understanding when to use the $ sign is the single most important concept in Excel formulas.

=A1       // Relative (Changes when dragged)
=$A$1     // Absolute (Stays locked)
=A$1      // Mixed (Row locked)
=$A1      // Mixed (Column locked)

If your lookup table references change when you drag a VLOOKUP down, you forgot to lock the table array!

:::video Locking Cells in 2 Minutes