Use named cells and ranges faster
Many people already use defined names to speed up spreadsheets and make them easier to audit or troubleshoot. Here's how to create and use named cells and ranges even faster!
This tip speeds up working with named ranges.
The Quick Tip shows how to create, use and list defined names quickly.
The Bonus Tip gives you quick access to the Name Manager to edit defined names.
With the Expert Tip you can create a whole group of defined names in an instant, and leverage them to analyze data fast.
We hope you find these tips useful.
Excel Quicker!
How to quickly create, use or list defined names
This tip will show you how to create, use and list defined names really quickly using keyboard shortcuts.
We also give some tips and traps for using defined names.
How to quickly define a name
This tip is useful when there are already defined names in your workbook. To use it, there must be at least one defined name.
Here’s a quick way to add a defined name:
Time needed: 1 minute
How to quickly define a name for a cell or a range of cells
- Select one or more cells
Select the cell or range of cells that you want to name.
- Activate the Name Box
Click in the Name Box, or just press Alt + F3
- Enter the name
Type the name you want to define, and press Enter.
Paste names using keyboard shortcuts
You can quickly paste an existing range name into the current cell or formula using this shortcut:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Paste Name | F3 |
This opens the “Paste Name” dialog, which looks like this:
You can then quickly choose the name you want to use with the arrow keys, and press Enter to insert it.
Paste a list of defined names and their cell references
You can quickly paste a list of the defined names into the current worksheet using this shortcut:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Paste a list of defined names | F3 then Alt + L |
This pastes a list of defined names and their cell addresses at the current cell. The result will spill down to adjacent cells where necessary.
This action is not available on a protected worksheet.
For example
If you had two defined names and pasted a list, it might look something like this:
Tips and traps for defined names
There are a few things to be aware of when defining names:
- Carefully choose the name scope (either workbook or worksheet)
- Only use allowed characters (for example, don’t use spaces, but underscores are allowed)
- Names must be unique within their scope
- Upper and lower case letters in defined names are interpreted as being the same
See the Bonus tip and Expert tip for how to manage defined names with more time-saving shortcuts.
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