Autofilling dates saves time and reduces manual input errors. Let me share 5 tips to help you autofill dates like an Excel boss!
Video TutorialWatch on YouTube & Subscribe to our ChannelDownloads Auto Fill Hacks.xlsxDownload 1. Drag Down the Fill HandleWith your date cell selected, hover over the bottom right corner until the cursor becomes a plus symbol. This is called the fill handle. If you left-click the handle and drag it down, Excel will autofill dates in sequential order all the way down to where you stop dragging.
Double-Click the Fill HandleThis only works if there is corresponding data in the column to the left of your date. If you double-click on the fill handle, Excel will autofill all the way down to the end of the contiguous data set. In other words, it will stop when there is a blank cell in the column to the left.
Autofill with Copied Values Instead of Sequential If you are looking to copy the same date all the way down instead of autofilling with sequential dates, you can start by doing either of the two options above and then choosing Copy Cells in the Autofill Options menu found in the little box that appears at the bottom right corner of the filled cells.
The result looks like this:
You'll notice that the Autofill Options menu has some other cool items to choose from like filling only weekdays or filling sequential months or years. Here's how it looks when I choose Fill Months.
Ctrl + Drag to Copy DownAnother way to copy the cells down is to drag the fill handle down, as we did in the first tip, but press Ctrl before letting go.
Drag to the Right to Fill HorizontallyYou can also drag the fill handle to the right instead of down if you want to autofill horizontally.
Bonus Tip: If you drag the fill handle to the left or upwards, the dates will autofill in REVERSE sequential order.
Do you use autofill often? It's a great habit to get into.
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Link to post: How to Autofill Dates in Excel