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AutoFill in Excel: the Fill Handle, Series and Formulas
AutoFill continues a pattern for you. Type Jan, drag the small square at the bottom right of the cell, and Excel fills in Feb, Mar, Apr. The same move copies a formula down a whole column. It is one of the biggest time savers in Excel, and it takes two seconds to learn.
Excel CSE · In this guide
How to use AutoFill
- Type the first value, for example Jan or 1. For a step other than 1, type the first two values (5 and 10) and select both cells.
- Point at the small square at the bottom right of the selection: the fill handle. The pointer turns into a thin black cross.
- Drag down (or to the right) over the cells you want to fill. A small label shows the value of the last cell.
- Let go. Excel fills the cells and shows the Auto Fill Options button next to them.
On a phone or tablet: tap the cell, tap it again and choose Fill, then drag the arrows.
What AutoFill continues
| You start with | Drag down and you get |
|---|---|
| Jan | Feb, Mar, Apr … (also January, February) |
| Mon or Monday | Tue, Wed, Thu … |
| 1 and 2 (both selected) | 3, 4, 5 … |
| 5 and 10 (both selected) | 15, 20, 25 … |
| Q1, Week 1, Room 101 | Q2, Week 2, Room 102 … |
| A date, like 01/03/2026 | The next days. Choose Fill Months or Fill Weekdays in Auto Fill Options for other steps. |
| A single number, like 7 | 7, 7, 7 … (a copy). Hold Ctrl while dragging to count up instead. |
| Plain text, like North | North, North, North … (a copy) |
Excel looks at all selected cells to find the step. Select 2, 4 and 8 and it fills a straight line (about 10.7, 13.7 …), not a doubling; for that, use Fill Series with Growth.
Practice: fill a table with AutoFill
Drag the fill handle in the Excel window below, just as you would in Excel. The tips tell you what to do next.
Try it yourself: click A2 and drag the fill handle down to A7, select B2:B3 and drag to B7, then click C2 and double-click the fill handle. Turn on JavaScript to practise this in an interactive Excel window.
Copy a formula down a column
Type a formula in the first row, for example =B2*C2 in D2. Then:
- Double-click the fill handle. Excel copies the formula down as far as the column next to it has data. With 5,000 rows that is one click instead of a long drag.
- Or select the cells from the formula down and press Ctrl+D (fill down). Ctrl+R fills to the right.
Excel adjusts the references for every row: D3 gets =B3*C3. A reference that must stay the same, like a VAT rate in F1, needs dollar signs: =B2*$F$1. See absolute references. In an Excel table you don't even need to drag: a formula in one cell fills the whole column by itself.
The Auto Fill Options button
After filling, a small button appears at the bottom right of the range. Click it to change what Excel did:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Copy Cells | Repeats the selected values instead of continuing them. |
| Fill Series | Continues the pattern (1, 2, 3 instead of 1, 1, 1). |
| Fill Formatting Only | Copies only colours, borders and number formats. |
| Fill Without Formatting | Fills the values but keeps the formatting already in the cells, handy with banded rows. |
| Fill Days / Weekdays / Months / Years | For dates: step by day, skip weekends, or step by month or year. |
| Flash Fill | Fills based on an example instead of a series. See Flash Fill. |
Fill a long series without dragging
Need the numbers 1 to 1,000, or every Monday of the year? Dragging that far is no fun. Use the Series dialog:
- Type the first value (1, or the first Monday) and select that cell.
- Go to Home › Fill › Series.
- Choose Columns, set the Step value (1, or 7 for weekly dates) and the Stop value (1000, or the last date), and click OK.
Choose Growth for a series that multiplies (2, 4, 8, 16) and Date with Weekday to skip weekends. In Microsoft 365, =SEQUENCE(1000) gives the same 1 to 1,000 as a formula.
Your own lists
AutoFill knows months and days. Teach it your own sequence, like your team members or the stores in a fixed order: File › Options › Advanced › Edit Custom Lists, type the items (one per line) and click Add. From then on, typing the first item and dragging fills the rest, and you can sort by the same order.
AutoFill or Flash Fill?
- AutoFill continues a series or copies cells and formulas: 1, 2, 3 or Jan, Feb, Mar.
- Flash Fill (Ctrl+E) copies a pattern from an example in the next column: type "Anna" next to "Anna Smith" and it fills all first names. More in Text to Columns and Flash Fill.
Common problems
- There is no fill handle. It is switched off: File › Options › Advanced › Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop.
- Excel copies instead of counting. You selected only one number. Select two cells to show the step, hold Ctrl while dragging, or choose Fill Series under Auto Fill Options.
- Double-click fills too little or nothing. The column next to it has a gap or is empty: Excel stops at the first blank cell. Drag instead, or fill the gap first.
- Every row shows the same result. Calculation is set to manual: Formulas › Calculation Options › Automatic.
- The formulas point at the wrong cells. A reference moved that should have stayed fixed. Add $ signs; see absolute references.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fill handle in Excel?
The small square at the bottom right corner of the selected cell or range. Drag it to AutoFill the neighbouring cells, or double-click it to fill down to the end of your data.
How do I AutoFill without dragging?
Double-click the fill handle to fill down along the column next to it, press Ctrl+D to fill down a selected range, or use Home › Fill › Series with a stop value.
How do I AutoFill numbers in Excel?
Type the first two numbers, select both and drag the fill handle. With one number selected, hold Ctrl while you drag.
Why does AutoFill repeat the same date?
The date is probably stored as text. Convert it to a real date first; see convert text to a number.