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When you usually open Microsoft Excel and create a new workbook, you would see your well-known worksheet style: Row numbers on the left and column letters on the top of the cells.

But sometimes, you would see something different: Column number instead of letters. What has happend? And how can you change it back?

This article is part of our big Excel FAQ.

Learn about all the most frequently asked questions.

Make first row header in excel

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In a hurry? In Excel, go to File –> Options –> Formulas (on the left) and remove the check from “R1C1 reference style“.

What are column numbers in Excel?

Excel provides the option to switch from letters (=default) to numbers in the headings.

If you use numbers in the headings, it’s called the “R1C1 reference style” or “Relative Notation”. It’s an older style of referencing cells.

The problem with it: Formulas look much different if you use column letters.

In some cases it could make sense to use numbers instead of letters:

Working with VBA macros: