How do you know a range is active in excel?

In Excel, a range is considered active if it is highlighted and outlined with a border when selected. You can identify the active range by its cell reference displayed in the Name Box, typically located to the left of the formula bar. Additionally, any actions or functions you apply will affect only the active range. If you see a blinking cursor in the first cell of the selected range, that's another indication that the range is active.