{"id":73,"date":"2025-07-15T13:34:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T13:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/functiontranslator.com\/2021\/02\/12\/cell\/"},"modified":"2021-02-13T11:32:58","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T11:32:58","slug":"cell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/functiontranslator.com\/en\/cell\/","title":{"rendered":"CELL"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excel and Google Sheets are powerful tools equipped with a myriad of functions that allow for efficient data manipulation. This guide will delve into the CELL function, which is ubiquitous across both Excel and Google Sheets, offering insights into a cell’s formatting, location, or contents.<\/p>\n

Basic Syntax<\/h2>\n

The syntax for the CELL function remains consistent between Excel and Google Sheets:<\/p>\n

=CELL(info_type, [reference])<\/code><\/pre>\n
The info_type<\/strong> parameter is a text string that denotes the type of information you wish to retrieve about the cell. It can be any of the following values:<\/p>\n
    \n
  • “address” – Returns the cell’s address as text.<\/li>\n
  • “col” – Returns the column number of the cell.<\/li>\n
  • “row” – Returns the row number of the cell.<\/li>\n
  • “color” – Returns the cell’s background color in hexadecimal format.<\/li>\n
  • “contents” – Returns the actual contents of the cell.<\/li>\n
  • “format” – Returns a numeric code that corresponds to the cell’s format.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    The optional reference<\/strong> parameter specifies the cell to be examined. If omitted, the CELL function defaults to the cell where the function is applied.<\/p>\n
    Examples<\/h2>\n
    Example 1: Getting the Address of a Cell<\/h3>\n
    Consider a situation where you have data in cell B2 and you want to display its address elsewhere:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Data<\/th>\nAddress<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    B2<\/td>\n=CELL(“address”, B2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
    In this instance, =CELL(\"address\", B2)<\/code> outputs “B2” as the address of cell B2 in the designated cell.<\/p>\n
    Example 2: Checking Cell Formatting<\/h3>\n
    To ascertain the format of a specific cell, such as A1, which has currency formatting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Data<\/th>\nFormat<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    $100.00<\/td>\n=CELL(“format”, A1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
    Here, =CELL(\"format\", A1)<\/code> returns a numeric value indicative of A1’s format. The precise interpretation of this format code can be obtained from the Excel or Google Sheets documentation.<\/p>\n
    Example 3: Getting Cell Color<\/h3>\n
    To determine the background color of a cell, such as C3, you can use the “color” info_type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Data<\/th>\nColor Code<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    Pink<\/td>\n=CELL(“color”, C3)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
    The formula =CELL(\"color\", C3)<\/code> fetches the hexadecimal code of C3’s background color, useful for tasks like conditional formatting or color comparisons.<\/p>\n
    By mastering the CELL function in Excel and Google Sheets, you enhance your ability to perform in-depth data analysis and improve your reports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
    Returns information about the formatting, location, or contents of a cell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-information"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExcel CELL Function \u2013 How It Works, Formula Examples and Syntax<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what the Excel CELL function does. 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