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The process of finding a specific text within a range of cells and obtaining the cell reference in Excel can be achieved through the use of the built-in functions in the software. By utilizing the “FIND” or “SEARCH” function, users can input the desired text and specify the range of cells to be searched. The function will then return the cell reference of the first occurrence of the text within the specified range. This method is particularly useful for large datasets or when working with complex spreadsheets, allowing for efficient and accurate location of specific information within the cells.
Excel: Find Text in Range and Return Cell Reference
You can use the following formula to find specific text in a range in Excel and return the cell reference:
=CELL("address",INDEX(A2:A11,MATCH("Warriors",A2:A11,0)))
This particular formula will look for the text Warriors” in the range A2:A11 and return the cell reference where this text is located.
For example, this formula could return $A$6 if this is the cell where the text Warriors” is found.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: Find Text in Range and Return Cell Reference in Excel
Suppose we have the following list of basketball team names in Excel:

Suppose we would like to find the address of the cell where the team Warriors” is located.
We can type the following formula into cell B2:
=CELL("address",INDEX(A2:A11,MATCH("Warriors",A2:A11,0)))The following screenshot shows how to use this formula in practice:

The formula tells us that the text Warriors” is located in cell $A$6.
Note that if we only wanted to know which position in the list contained Warriors” then we could use the MATCH function by itself:
=MATCH("Warriors",A2:A11,0)The following screenshot shows how to use this formula in practice:

The formula tells us that the text Warriors” is located in the fifth position of the list of team names.
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-a-specific-text-in-a-range-of-cells-and-return-the-cell-reference-using-excel/
stats writer. "How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 22 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-a-specific-text-in-a-range-of-cells-and-return-the-cell-reference-using-excel/.
stats writer. "How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-a-specific-text-in-a-range-of-cells-and-return-the-cell-reference-using-excel/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-a-specific-text-in-a-range-of-cells-and-return-the-cell-reference-using-excel/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I find a specific text in a range of cells and return the cell reference using Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.
