Autofill in Excel From Another Cell: A Practical Guide

To autofill from another cell in Excel, select the cell you want to copy, then drag its fill handle over the destination cells. Excel copies its value or formula; if you want a formula to keep pointing to one fixed source cell, use an absolute reference such as =$A$1 before filling. The steps below are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, with notes for Mac and Excel for the web.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook with a source cell containing the value, text, date, or formula you want to fill.
A clear destination range, such as the cells below or beside the source.
If filling formulas, a decision about whether cell references should change as the formula moves or stay fixed.

You do not need to enable a special feature for the fill handle in a standard Excel setup. If the handle is not visible, you can use the copy-and-paste or ribbon methods below instead.

Step-by-Step

Choose what you want Excel to repeat. Click the source cell and check its contents in the formula bar. A plain value, such as a department name, will be copied as a value. A formula will be copied as a formula, and its relative cell references may adjust. If you need the same displayed result throughout the destination range, consider whether a fixed reference is more suitable.
Select the source cell. Click it once so a border appears around it. For example, if A1 contains the text “North,” selecting A1 makes it the source for the fill. If you want to copy formatting as well as the contents, the fill-handle method will generally carry the source cell’s formatting too; the fill options let you change what is copied afterward.
Locate the fill handle. Look at the lower-right corner of the selected cell’s border. A small square appears there when the fill handle is available. Move the pointer over the square until it changes to a small black plus sign. Do not click the larger cross-shaped cursor that appears in the middle of the cell; that is a different pointer state.
Drag over the destination cells. Hold the mouse button down on the fill handle and drag down, up, left, or right across the cells you want to fill. Release the mouse button when the full destination range is highlighted. If A1 contains “North” and you drag its handle through A2:A5, Excel copies “North” into A2, A3, A4, and A5. Review the range before continuing, because dragging one row too far can overwrite data.
Choose a fill option if Excel did not copy what you expected. After dragging, a small Auto Fill Options button may appear near the filled range. Select it to view available choices, which can include Copy Cells, Fill Series, Fill Formatting Only, and Fill Without Formatting. The options depend on the selected data. Choose Copy Cells when you want the same value repeated, or Fill Series when you want Excel to continue a recognizable pattern. You can also press Esc to dismiss the options without changing the filled cells.
Use a formula when you want destination cells linked to the source. A copied value is a separate copy; changing the original later will not necessarily update those copies. A formula that refers to the source cell creates a link instead. With 25 in A1 and B1 selected as the destination, enter =A1 in B1; B1 displays 25. If you copy that formula down one row, Excel adjusts the relative reference to A2. That behavior is useful when each row should refer to its corresponding source-row cell.
Keep the reference fixed when every result should use the same source. With 25 in A1 and the destination cells B1:B4, enter =$A$1 in B1, then fill down through B4. Each destination cell displays 25 because the dollar signs lock both the column and row reference. If you later change A1 to 30, all four linked cells display 30. By contrast, with =A1 entered in B1 and filled down, the references shift by row, so B2 points to A2, B3 to A3, and so on.
Fill a formula or value down with the keyboard. Select the source cell and the cells below it, including the source at the top of the selection. On Windows, press Ctrl+D to fill down. On Mac, Control+D is commonly the Fill Down shortcut in Excel; shortcut behavior can vary with keyboard settings. Alternatively, use Home > Fill > Down. For a horizontal fill, select the source and cells to its right, then use Ctrl+R on Windows or Home > Fill > Right. The ribbon route is also useful if a shortcut is intercepted by your computer.
Fill down quickly beside a data list. If you have a formula in a cell next to a continuous block of data, double-click the fill handle instead of dragging. Excel usually extends the formula down to match the adjacent data block. For example, a formula in C2 may fill down alongside a continuous list in B2:B50. Check the last filled row: blank cells or gaps in the neighboring column can cause Excel to stop earlier than you expect. A double-click is not a reliable way to fill a fixed number of rows when the adjacent data has gaps.
Check the results and undo if needed. Inspect the first and last destination cells, especially when formulas or a series are involved. Click a filled formula cell and read the formula bar to confirm its reference. If the fill overwrote something or produced the wrong pattern, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac promptly. Undo is useful for ordinary fill actions, but it may also undo other work done since the fill.

In Excel for Mac, the fill handle works much like it does on Windows. In Excel for the web, you can usually drag the fill handle to copy or extend entries as well. If a shortcut or menu placement differs in your version, use the visible Home tab commands or the fill handle; the exact controls can vary with platform and updates.

Common Mistakes

Dragging the cell border instead of the fill handle: This can move the source cell rather than fill neighboring cells. Start at the small square in the selected cell’s lower-right corner and wait for the pointer to become a black plus sign.
Expecting a copied value to remain connected to its original: Filling a text value or number makes copies, not live links. Use a cell-reference formula if the destination should update when the source changes.
Using a relative reference when the source must stay fixed: A formula such as =A1 changes its reference as it is filled. Use dollar signs, as in =$A$1, when all filled formulas should refer to A1. Press F4 while editing a cell reference in Windows Excel to cycle through reference styles; on Mac, the shortcut may differ by keyboard and Excel settings, so adding the dollar signs directly is a dependable option.
Filling a series when you meant to repeat one entry: Excel may extend a pattern, especially when you select multiple starting values. Select Copy Cells in Auto Fill Options if you want repetitions rather than a continuing sequence.
Filling over existing information: The destination cells are replaced by the fill operation. Check that the selected range is correct and that it does not include data you need to keep.
Assuming formatting and contents are inseparable: The fill handle may copy both. Use Auto Fill Options to choose Fill Without Formatting or Fill Formatting Only when you need to preserve one part but not the other.

Tips

Use a two-cell pattern to extend a sequence. If you want 1, 2, 3, 4 rather than four copies of 1, enter 1 in A1 and 2 in A2, select both cells, and drag the fill handle down. Excel can infer the step of one. The same approach works for dates or other recognizable numeric patterns.
For a single number, confirm whether you want a copy or a progression. Dragging one numeric cell can copy its value, while a pair of starting numbers gives Excel clearer information about a series. The Auto Fill Options button provides another way to switch between copying and filling a series.
Copy only the formula when layout matters. If you need to preserve destination formatting, select the source, copy it, select the target range, and use Paste Special options to paste formulas only. In Windows Excel, Paste Special is available from Home > Paste > Paste Special; available choices and dialogs may differ somewhat on Mac and the web.
Fill a selected range precisely. Click the source, select the complete target range with the mouse or name box, then use Home > Fill > Down or Right. This avoids estimating the drag distance and is especially helpful in long tables.
Use Excel tables for recurring calculated columns. When a formula is entered in a table column, Excel can propagate it through that calculated column automatically. This is helpful for data that grows over time, but it is different from dragging a cell’s fill handle and depends on the range being formatted as an Excel table.

Troubleshooting

The fill handle is missing: In Windows Excel, open File > Options > Advanced. Under Editing options, check Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop, then select OK. In Excel for Mac, check Excel > Preferences or Settings, then the Edit section for the fill-handle or drag-and-drop setting; labels can vary by version. If you cannot change the setting, use Home > Fill or copy and paste.
The double-click fill stops too soon: Excel uses nearby data to estimate how far to fill. Look for a blank row or a break in the adjacent column, then drag to the desired end row or select the full target range and use Home > Fill > Down.
Formulas show the wrong values: Click a destination cell and inspect its formula bar. If the reference shifted but should not have, replace it with an absolute reference such as =$A$1, then fill again. If relative references should move row by row, check that the source formula refers to the intended starting row before copying.
Excel repeats a number instead of continuing a sequence: Enter at least two starting values that show the intended pattern, select both, and fill. Alternatively, open Auto Fill Options and choose Fill Series.
The filled cells look different: Use Auto Fill Options to choose whether formatting is copied. If formatting has already changed, undo the fill and try again with Fill Without Formatting, or apply the required format to the destination range afterward.
Nothing happens when you drag: Make sure the sheet is not protected in a way that prevents editing, that the destination cells are not part of a restricted selection, and that you are dragging the fill handle rather than the cell border. If the workbook is read-only, save an editable copy before making changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I autofill a cell from another sheet?
Yes. In the destination cell, enter a reference to the source sheet, then copy or fill that formula. Sheet names with spaces need single quotation marks around the name in a reference, such as ='Monthly Sales'!A1. When filling, check whether the row reference should change or be locked.

How do I copy the exact same value into several cells?
Select the source and destination cells, then use Ctrl+D on Windows for a downward fill or choose Copy Cells from Auto Fill Options. You can also copy the source, select the destination range, and paste. A formula is not required if the values do not need to stay linked.

How do I autofill without copying the formatting?
After using the fill handle, select the Auto Fill Options button and choose Fill Without Formatting. If you use copy and paste instead, use Paste Special and choose the option that pastes values or formulas without source formatting, according to what you need to retain.

Why does my formula change when I autofill it?
Excel adjusts relative references to match the formula’s new position. That is normally useful for row-by-row calculations. To keep a reference fixed, add dollar signs to the column and row, for example =$A$1, before filling.

Can Excel autofill automatically when I add new rows?
For a formula in an Excel table, Excel can extend a calculated column to new rows. In a regular range, you generally need to fill the new cells yourself. If a table does not propagate a formula, check that the new row is inside the table and that calculated-column options have not been changed.

Does autofill work in Excel for the web?
Yes. The fill handle can copy or extend entries in Excel for the web. Some ribbon commands and shortcut behavior differ from the Windows desktop app, so use the handle or the commands shown in the web ribbon if a desktop instruction does not match your screen.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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