The fill handle is the small green square at the bottom-right corner of the selected cell in Excel. Drag it down or across to copy a formula or value into neighboring cells, or to continue a pattern such as 1, 2, 3 or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Double-click it to fill a formula down to the last row of your data automatically. After filling, the Auto Fill Options button lets you switch between copying and filling a series.
Copy a formula down a column
- Enter the formula in the first cell, for example
=B2*C2in D2. - Select D2. Point at the fill handle until the cursor becomes a thin black plus sign.
- Drag down to the last row, or double-click the handle to fill down automatically.
Excel adjusts the cell references for each row, so D3 becomes =B3*C3. To keep a reference fixed, add dollar signs, as in =B2*$F$1. See how to keep one cell constant in Excel.
Double-clicking fills as far as the column to the left (or right) has data. It stops at the first blank cell in that column, so check long lists.
Fill a series
| Type in the first cell(s) | Drag to get |
|---|---|
| 1 and 2 (select both) | 3, 4, 5… |
| 5 and 10 (select both) | 15, 20, 25… |
| Monday | Tuesday, Wednesday… |
| Jan or January | Feb, Mar… or February, March… |
| Q1 | Q2, Q3, Q4, Q1… |
| Item 1 | Item 2, Item 3… |
| A date such as 1/1/2026 | 1/2/2026, 1/3/2026… |
If you start with a single number and drag, Excel copies it. Hold Ctrl while dragging to fill a series instead (on a Mac, hold Option). For numbering rows, see how to put serial numbers in Excel.
Auto Fill Options
After you drag, a small icon appears at the corner of the filled range. Click it to choose:
- Copy Cells: repeat the same value.
- Fill Series: continue the pattern.
- Fill Formatting Only: copy formatting, not values.
- Fill Without Formatting: copy values or formulas but keep the destination’s formatting, useful for banded rows.
- Fill Days, Weekdays, Months, Years: for dates. Weekdays skips Saturday and Sunday.
- Flash Fill: fill based on a pattern from neighboring columns. See how to separate names into two columns for an example.
More control with right-drag and the Series dialog
Drag the fill handle with the right mouse button, release, and a menu appears with the same options plus Series. In the Series dialog you can set a step value (such as 0.5) and a stop value, or create a growth series that multiplies instead of adds. You can also reach it from Home > Fill > Series.
Keyboard alternatives
- Ctrl + D: select a range with the value at the top, then fill down.
- Ctrl + R: fill right from the leftmost cell.
- Ctrl + Enter: type a value with a range selected to put it in every cell.
Create your own fill lists
To drag through your own sequence, such as department names or sales regions, go to File > Options > Advanced, scroll to General, and click Edit Custom Lists. Type the items one per line, click Add, then OK. Now typing the first item and dragging fills the rest.
Troubleshooting
The fill handle is missing
Go to File > Options > Advanced and tick Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop. It also doesn’t appear when several separate ranges are selected.
Dragging copies instead of counting
Excel needs two starting values to see a pattern, or use the Auto Fill Options button and choose Fill Series.
Formulas show the same result in every row
Calculation is set to Manual. Go to Formulas > Calculation Options > Automatic, or press F9.
Double-click doesn’t fill all the way down
There’s a blank cell in the neighboring column. Fill the gap or drag manually.
Summary
- Drag the small square at the bottom-right of a cell to fill.
- Double-click it to fill a formula down to the end of your data.
- Start with two values to fill a number pattern.
- Use Auto Fill Options to switch between copying and series.
Related: How to Subtract One Cell from Another in Excel.
Related: How to Duplicate a Column in Excel.
Related: how to select all blank cells in Excel.
Related: how to move a column in Excel.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.