For example, cells A1, A2, and A3 have the values 1,2, and 3. So using the fill handle, you can fill all the cells below with values that follow in the series, like 4,5,6…. And so on.
You can easily learn how to use fill handle in Excel by following the steps below:
STEP 1: Enter the starting values of your sequence in a range of cells.
STEP 2: Select the cells in which you have entered the values.
STEP 3: Go to the bottom right of your selection, you can drag the fill handle Excel to copy data or to fill adjacent cells with a series of data.
STEP 4: After using the Excel fill handle, your values will be filled, like so!
If you are unable to use this function or the filled values are not as per your pattern, you can easily fix it.
Let’s see how you can overcome these problems.
Fill Handle Excel – not visible
If you are unable to use this function, you can simply fix it using the steps below:
STEP 1: Select the File tab.
STEP 2: Click Options from the menu on the left side
STEP 3: In the Advanced category, under Editing options, select the Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop check box.
Once you have enabled this, you can easily use Excel Fill handle feature!
Not selecting all values
It can even be that you have not selected the entire range that has your sequential values. Just selecting the last cell will fill only that value in the cells where you drag the fill handle in Excel.
For example, if we drag the fill handle after only selecting cell B8, the entire range is filled only with the value “1002”.
Selecting the entire range and then using the fill handle will fill the new cells in sequential order.
Selecting B7 and B8 will help Excel recognize the pattern and correctly fill the subsequent cells.
Auto Fill options
Suppose you have entered the date and you want to use the fill handle to get only weekdays. If you use the fill handle like before, it will just add the next dates in adjacent cells.
You can use the AutoFill option to get dates that are only falling on weekdays!
STEP 1: Select the entered values.
STEP 2: Go to the bottom right of your selection, you can drag the fill handle to fill dates below.
This will fill the dates one after the other!
STEP 3: Click on the Fill Handle button at the bottom right.
STEP 4: Select Fill Weekdays.
This will just include the weekdays and ignore the weekends like 4-Jan-20 and 5-Jan-20.
You can use other options as well like Fill Formatting only, Fill Months, Flash Fill, etc.
Conclusion
Using the fill handle makes data entry easier as well as makes your Excel operations more efficient. We hope that after this exercise, your issue involving the fill handle has been resolved!
Further Learning:
- How to Use Flash Fill In Excel
- Copy The Cell Above In Excel
- Mastering Excel Skills from Basic to Advanced
Make sure to download our FREE PDF on the 333 Excel keyboard Shortcuts here:
You can learn more about how to use Excel by viewing our FREE Excel webinar training
John Michaloudis is a former accountant and finance analyst at General Electric, a Microsoft MVP since 2020, an Amazon #1 bestselling author of 4 Microsoft Excel books and teacher of Microsoft Excel & Office over at his flagship Academy Online Course.
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