How to Select Cells and Ranges in Excel Visual Basic

This updated guide examines How to Select Cells and Ranges in Excel Visual Basic and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1

Selecting Individual Cells

Select one cell on the current worksheet. Let's say you want to select cell E6 with Visual Basic. You can do this with either of the following options:^[1]
```
ActiveSheet.Cells(6,5).Select
```
```
ActiveSheet.Range("E6").Select
```
Select one cell on a different worksheet in the same workbook. Let's say our example cell, E6, is on a sheet called Sheet2. You can use either of the following options to select it:
```
Application.GotoActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet2").Cells(6,5)
```
```
Application.Goto(ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet2").Range("E6"))
```
Select one cell on a worksheet in a different workbook. Let's say you want to select a cell from Sheet1 in a workbook called BOOK2. XLS. Either of these two options should do the trick:
```
Application.GotoWorkbooks("BOOK2. XLS").Sheets("Sheet1").Cells(2,1)
```
```
Application.GotoWorkbooks("BOOK2. XLS").Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A2")
```
Select a cell relative to another cell. You can use VB to select a cell based on its location relative to the active (or a different) cell. Just be sure the cell exists to avoid errors. Here's how to use:
- Select the cell three rows below and four columns to the left of the active cell:
```
ActiveCell.Offset(3,-4).Select
```
- Select the cell five rows below and four columns to the right of cell C7:
```
ActiveSheet.Cells(7,3).Offset(5,4).Select
```

Method 2

Selecting Ranges

Select a range of cells on the active worksheet. If you wanted to select cells C1:D6 on the current sheet, you can enter any of the following three examples:
```
ActiveSheet.Range(Cells(1,3),Cells(6,4)).Select
```
```
ActiveSheet.Range("C1:D6").Select
```
```
ActiveSheet.Range("C1","D6").Select
```
Select a range from another worksheet in the same workbook. You could use either of these examples to select cells C3:E11 on a sheet called Sheet3:
```
Application.GotoActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet3").Range("C3:E11")
```
```
Application.GotoActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet3").Range("C3","E11")
```
Select a range of cells from a worksheet in a different workbook. Both of these examples would select cells E12:F12 on Sheet1 of a workbook called BOOK2. XLS:
```
Application.GotoWorkbooks("BOOK2. XLS").Sheets("Sheet1").Range("E12:F12")
```
```
Application.GotoWorkbooks("BOOK2. XLS").Sheets("Sheet1").Range("E12","F12")
```
Select a named range. If you've assigned a name to a range of cells, you'd use the same syntax as steps 4-6, but you'd replace the range address (e.g., "E12", "F12") with the range's name (e.g., "Sales"). Here are some examples:
- On the active sheet:
```
ActiveSheet.Range("Sales").Select
```
- Different sheet of same workbook:
```
Application.GotoActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet3").Range("Sales")
```
- Different workbook:
```
Application.GotoWorkbooks("BOOK2. XLS").Sheets("Sheet1").Range("Sales")
```
Select a range relative to a named range. The syntax varies depending on the named range's location and whether you want to adjust the size of the new range.
- If the range you want to select is the same size as one called Test5 but is shifted four rows down and three columns to the right, you'd use:
```
ActiveSheet.Range("Test5").Offset(4,3).Select
```
- If the range is on Sheet3 of the same workbook, activate that worksheet first, and then select the range like this:
```
Sheets("Sheet3").ActivateActiveSheet.Range("Test").Offset(4,3).Select
```
Select a range and resize the selection. You can increase the size of a selected range if you need to. If you wanted to select a range called Database' and then increase its size by 5 rows, you'd use this syntax:
```
Range("Database").SelectSelection.Resize(Selection.Rows.Count+5,_Selection.Columns.Count).Select
```
Select the union of two named ranges. If you have two overlapping named ranges, you can use VB to select the cells in that overlapping area (called the "union"). The limitation is that you can only do this on the active sheet. Let's say you want to select the union of a range called Great and one called Terrible :
- ```
Application.Union(Range("Great"),Range("Terrible")).Select
```
- If you want to select the intersection of two named ranges instead of the overlapping area, just replaceApplication. UnionwithApplication. Intersect.

Method 3

Selecting from Contiguous and Non-Contiguous Data in Columns

Use this example data for the examples in this method. This chart full of example data, courtesy of Microsoft, will help you visualize how the examples behave:^[2]A1: Name B1: Sales C1: Quantity A2: a B2: $10 C2: 5 A3: b B3: C3: 10 A4: c B4: $10 C4: 5 A5: B5: C5: A6: Total B6: $20 C6: 20
Select the last cell at the bottom of a contiguous column. The following example will select cell A4:
```
ActiveSheet.Range("A1").End(xlDown).Select
```
Select the first blank cell below a column of contiguous cells. The following example will select A5 based on the chart above:
```
ActiveSheet.Range("A1").End(xlDown).Offset(1,0).Select
```

Select a range of continuous cells in a column. Both of the following examples will select the range A1:A4:

ActiveSheet.Range("A1",ActiveSheet.Range("a1").End(xlDown)).Select

ActiveSheet.Range("A1:"&ActiveSheet.Range("A1").End(xlDown).Address).Select

Select a whole range of non-contiguous cells in a column. Using the data table at the top of this method, both of the following examples will select A1:A6:
```
ActiveSheet.Range("A1",ActiveSheet.Range("A65536").End(xlUp)).Select
```
```
ActiveSheet.Range("A1",ActiveSheet.Range("A65536").End(xlUp)).Select
```

FAQ

What is How to Select Cells and Ranges in Excel Visual Basic about?

It provides a structured overview of select, explains the main context, and highlights practical takeaways for readers.

Why does this topic matter?

Understanding the main concepts helps readers evaluate the issue, avoid common mistakes, and make better-informed decisions.

How should readers use this information?

Use the guidance as a practical starting point, confirm details that may have changed, and follow current product, safety, or security recommendations.