How to avoid #ref error while deleting the rows in Excel?

While you refer a cell to another cell, the cell will display #REF error if the reference row has been deleted as below screenshot shown. Now I will talk about how to avoid #ref error and automatically refer to next cell while deleting the row.

Avoid #REF error while deleting the rows

Avoid #REF error while deleting the rows

To avoid #REF error, you cannot use the general formula =cell reference, you need another formula.

Select a cell next to the cell you need to use a formula to refer a row to it and type the row number difference between the cell and reference cell. For instance, I want to refer B12 to B2, then type 10 into C2. See screenshot:

The in the cell B2, type =OFFSET(B2,C2,), and press Enter key.

Now while you deleting the row 12, the cell content will be updated and get the value in new row 12.

Relative Articles:

• How to avoid rounding errors while calculating in Excel?

Best Office Productivity Tools

Supports Office/Excel 2007-2021 and 365  |  Available in 44 Languages  |  Easy to Uninstall Completely

	Popular Features: Find/Highlight/Identify Duplicates   |  Delete Blank Rows   |  Combine Columns or Cells without Losing Data   |   Round without Formula ...
	Super Lookup: Multiple Criteria VLookup  |   Multiple Value VLookup  |   VLookup Across Multiple Sheets   |   Fuzzy Lookup ....
	Advanced Drop-down List: Quickly Create Drop Down List   |  Dependent Drop Down List   |  Multi-select Drop Down List ....
	Column Manager: Add a Specific Number of Columns   |   Move Columns   |   Unhide Columns   |   Compare Columns to Select Same & Different Cells ...
	Featured Features: Grid Focus   |  Design View   |   Big Formula Bar   |  Workbook & Sheet Manager   |  Resource Library (Auto Text)   |  Date Picker   |  Combine Worksheets   |  Encrypt/Decrypt Cells   |  Send Emails by List   |  Super Filter   |   Special Filter (filter bold/italic/strikethrough...) ...
	Top 15 Toolsets:  12 Text Tools (Add Text, Remove Characters, ...)   |   50+ Chart Types (Gantt Chart, ...)   |   40+ Practical Formulas (Calculate age based on birthday, ...)   |   19 Insertion Tools (Insert QR Code, Insert Picture from Path, ...)   |   12 Conversion Tools (Numbers to Words, Currency Conversion, ...)   |   7 Merge & Split Tools (Advanced Combine Rows, Split Cells, ...)   |   ... and more

Kutools for Excel Boasts Over 300 Features, Ensuring That What You Need Is Just A Click Away...

Supercharge Your Excel Skills: Experience Efficiency Like Never Before with Kutools for Excel  (Full-Featured 30-Day Free Trial)

60-Day Unconditional Money-Back GuaranteeRead More... Free Download... Purchase... 

---

Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier

• Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
• Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
• Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day! (Full-Featured 30-Day Free Trial)

60-Day Unconditional Money-Back GuaranteeRead More... Free Download... Purchase...