Filling Series and Patterns
Auto-fill dates, numbers, and patterns without typing each value.
Filling Is Not Just for Formulas
The fill handle copies formulas, but it can also generate series and patterns of plain values. Dates, numbers, weekdays, and months can all be filled automatically.
This means you rarely have to type a sequence by hand. Type the start, give the spreadsheet a hint about the pattern, then drag, and it continues the series for you.
Filling a Number Series
Type 1 in A1 and 2 in A2. Select both cells, then drag the fill handle down.
The spreadsheet sees the step of +1 and continues: 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on. The two starting cells tell it the gap between values.
Try 5 and 10 instead and you get 15, 20, 25. The pattern is whatever difference your two seed cells establish.
All lessons in this course
- Dragging the Fill Handle
- How References Adjust as You Copy
- Filling Series and Patterns
- Fixing Common Copy Mistakes