What Spilling Means
Understand how one formula can output an array across many cells.
One Formula, Many Answers
Most formulas you have written return a single value into a single cell. Dynamic arrays change that. One formula can return a whole list or grid of results, and the spreadsheet automatically places each result into its own cell.
This automatic placement is called spilling. You type the formula once, press Enter, and the results flow out across nearby cells like water filling a tray.
A First Spill Example
Suppose A1:A5 holds the numbers 1 through 5. In cell C1 type =A1:A5*10 and press Enter.
Instead of one answer, you get five: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, stacked down C1:C5. You only typed the formula in C1, but the result spilled into the cells below it automatically.
=A1:A5*10