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Range & Sheet References

X21 makes it easy to reference specific cells, ranges, and sheets in your conversations through interactive mentions and automatic detection.

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Sheet Mentions

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Using @ to Reference Sheets

Type @ followed by a sheet name to reference it: 
Compare the totals in @Sales with @Forecast

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Sheet Mention Features

Autocomplete Palette:
  1. Type @
  2. Palette shows all sheets
  3. Type to search/filter
  4. Arrow keys to navigate
  5. Enter to select
Interactive Pills:
  • Sheet names appear as colored pills
  • Click a pill to navigate to that sheet
  • Hover for full sheet name
Search and Filter: 
@s → shows Sales, Summary, Sheet1
@for → shows Forecast

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When to Use Sheet Mentions

Comparing data: 
Find differences between @Actual and @Budget
Multi-sheet operations: 
Copy formatting from @Template to @Report
Navigation context: 
The formula in @Calculations uses data from @RawData

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Range References

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Current Selection Badge

The input area shows your currently selected range: 
📍 Sheet1!A1:D10

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Inserting Ranges

Button Method:
  1. Select cells in Excel
  2. Click the “Insert Range” button in input area
  3. Range appears as a pill
Manual Entry: Type range addresses directly: 
Calculate the average of A1:A100

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Interactive Range Pills

Ranges appear as clickable elements: 
Update the values in [Sheet1!A1:D10]
Click a range pill to:
  • Navigate to those cells
  • Switch sheets if needed
  • Highlight the range

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Range Formats Supported

Simple ranges: 
A1:D10
B5:B100
C1
Sheet-qualified: 
Sheet1!A1:D10
'Sales Data'!B5:B100
Named ranges: 
TotalSales
QuarterlyRevenue

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Using References Effectively

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Selection Context

The AI automatically knows your selection: 
You: "Summarize this data"
AI: [reads your selected A1:D10]
AI: "The selection contains 10 rows..."

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Explicit References

Be specific when needed: 
"Compare A1:A10 with B1:B10"
"Copy formula from C1 to C2:C100"

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Cross-Sheet References

Reference multiple sheets: 
"Sum the totals from @Q1, @Q2, @Q3, and @Q4"

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Best Practices

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Clear References

Be specific: 
✓ "Update Sheet1!A1:A10"
✗ "Update those cells"
Use sheet mentions: 
✓ "Copy @Template formatting to @Report"
✗ "Copy from the template to the other sheet"

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Selection Strategy

Small operations: Select the range first, then request: 
1. Select A1:A10
2. "Make these bold"
Large operations: Specify range in prompt: 
"Apply formatting to A1:Z1000"

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Sheet Name Clarity

For sheets with spaces or special characters: 
@'Sales Data'
@'Q1-2024'
@'Report (Final)'

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Advanced Features

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Multiple Ranges

Reference several ranges in one prompt: 
"Compare values in A1:A10, B1:B10, and C1:C10"

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Dynamic Ranges

Reference relative to selection: 
"Extend the formula to cover the entire used range"
"Apply to all rows with data"

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Range Calculations

Request operations across ranges: 
"Calculate the difference between A1:A10 and B1:B10"
"Find the maximum value across C1:C100 and D1:D100"

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Common Patterns

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Pattern 1: Select and Act

1. User selects B5:B15
2. User: "Format as currency"
3. AI: "I'll format Sheet1!B5:B15 as currency"

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Pattern 2: Explicit Range

User: "Make A1:Z1 bold and centered"
AI: [applies to specified range]

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Pattern 3: Cross-Sheet

User: "Copy structure from @Template to @NewReport"
AI: [references both sheets correctly]

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Troubleshooting

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Sheet Not Found

Issue: @Sales doesn’t autocomplete Solutions:
  • Check sheet name spelling
  • Verify sheet exists
  • Try clicking sheet tabs to refresh

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Range Not Recognized

Issue: Range reference not working Solutions:
  • Use proper Excel notation (A1:B10)
  • Include sheet name if ambiguous
  • Check for typos in range addresses
Issue: Clicking pills doesn’t navigate Solutions:
  • Ensure workbook is active
  • Check Excel isn’t in edit mode
  • Refresh connection

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Keyboard Shortcuts

  • @ key: Open sheet mention palette
  • Arrow keys: Navigate mentions/ranges
  • Enter: Select mention/range
  • Escape: Close palette
  • Click pill: Navigate to reference