AutoFill Series in Excel: Numbers, Dates and Lists
By ExcelReady TeamUpdated 6 min read
The short answer
To AutoFill a series in Excel, type the first one or two values, select them, then drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right of the selection) down or across. Excel continues the pattern: 1, 2, 3, dates, weekdays, months or Q1, Q2. For exact control, use Home > Fill > Series.
Key takeaways
- Type two values to set the step: 5 and 10 fills 15, 20, 25. One number alone is copied, not counted up.
- A single date fills one day at a time; the Auto Fill Options button switches it to weekdays, months or years.
- Double-click the fill handle to fill a formula down as far as the column next to it has data.
- Home > Fill > Series sets a step and a stop value, so you never drag past the end.
- Formulas such as =A2+7 or EDATE build series that update when the first date changes.
On this page+
AutoFill in Excel continues a pattern for you: type one or two starting values, drag the small square in the corner of the selection, and Excel fills in 1, 2, 3, dates, weekdays, months or labels like Q1, Q2, Q3. This guide is for anyone who still types series by hand. You will learn the fill handle, the Fill Series dialog for exact steps, and the formulas that build series which update by themselves.
What is AutoFill in Excel?#
AutoFill is the feature that extends a pattern when you drag the fill handle: the small square at the bottom-right corner of the selected cell or range. When you point at it, the cursor changes to a thin black plus sign.
AutoFill does two different jobs, depending on what you start with:
| You start with | AutoFill does | Result |
|---|---|---|
A formula, like =B2*C2 | Copies it, adjusting references | =B3*C3, =B4*C4 … |
Plain text, like North | Copies it | North, North, North |
One number, like 5 | Copies it | 5, 5, 5 |
Two numbers, like 5 and 10 | Continues the step | 15, 20, 25 |
| A date | Adds one day each row | 1/6, 1/7, 1/8 … |
A known list item, like Mon or January | Continues the list | Tue, Wed … / February, March … |
Text with a number, like Q1 or Week 1 | Counts the number up | Q2, Q3, Q4 / Week 2, Week 3 |
Formulas copied this way behave exactly like Fill Down and Fill Right: each copy points at the cells in its own row.
How to AutoFill numbers#
To fill a number series, give Excel two values so it can see the step.
- Type
1in A2 and2in A3. - Select A2:A3.
- Drag the fill handle down to A11. Excel fills 3 to 10.
The step can be anything. Start with 10 and 20 and you get 30, 40, 50. Start with 100 and 90 and Excel counts down: 80, 70, 60.
If you type only one number and drag, Excel copies it. On Windows, hold Ctrl while you drag a single number to count up by 1 instead. You can also drag first and fix it afterwards: click the Auto Fill Options button that appears at the end of the fill and choose Fill Series.
How to AutoFill dates, weekdays and months#
A single date fills one day at a time, because Excel stores every date as a whole number and simply adds 1. (Our guide on why Excel stores dates as numbers explains the serial numbers behind this.)
After you drag a date, the Auto Fill Options button gives you more choices:
| Option | Starting from Mon 1/6/2025, the next cells are |
|---|---|
| Fill Days (the default) | 1/7, 1/8, 1/9 … including weekends |
| Fill Weekdays | Tue 1/7 … Fri 1/10, then Mon 1/13 (skips Sat and Sun) |
| Fill Months | 2/6/2025, 3/6/2025, 4/6/2025 … |
| Fill Years | 1/6/2026, 1/6/2027, 1/6/2028 … |
Two starting dates work like two numbers: 1/6/2025 and 1/13/2025 fill one week apart.
Text that Excel recognises as a list also fills: Mon gives Tue, Wed; Monday gives Tuesday, Wednesday; Jan gives Feb, Mar; January gives February, March. After Sunday or December, the list starts again.
Fill a series with exact steps: Home > Fill > Series#
Dragging is fast but imprecise on long lists. The Series dialog lets you set the step and the last value, so Excel stops in exactly the right place.
- Type the first value, for example
1in A2, and select A2. - On the Home tab, click Fill (in the Editing group on Windows), then Series….
- Choose Columns under Series in.
- Set Step value to
1and Stop value to500. - Click OK. Excel fills 1 to 500 without any dragging.
For dates, the same dialog has a Date unit option: Day, Weekday, Month or Year. On Windows, the keyboard route is Alt, H, F, I, S.
Double-click the fill handle to fill a formula down#
When the column next to your formula already has data, double-click the fill handle instead of dragging. Excel fills the formula down until the neighbouring column ends.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price | Units | Revenue |
| 2 | Notebook | 4.50 | 120 | =B2*C2 |
| 3 | Pen | 1.20 | 340 | |
| 4 | Stapler | 9.99 | 45 |
Type the formula in D2, then double-click its fill handle. Excel fills D3 and D4 and stops at row 4, because column C ends there. Watch out for gaps: a blank cell in the neighbouring column stops the fill early.
The keyboard alternative is to select D2:D4 and press Ctrl+D (Windows) or ⌘D (Mac). Both appear in our Excel keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet.
Build a series with formulas instead#
A filled series is just typed values, so it doesn't change when the start changes. A formula series updates by itself. That matters for a schedule where the first date may move.
| Series you want | Formula in A3 (then fill down) |
|---|---|
| Count up by 1 | =A2+1 |
| Every 7 days | =A2+7 |
| Next working day | =WORKDAY(A2,1) |
| First day of each month | =DATE(YEAR(A2),MONTH(A2)+1,1) |
| Same day each month | =EDATE($A$2,ROW()-2) |
The DATE formula is the one in the exercise below. If A2 holds 1/1/2025, it returns 2/1/2025, and filling it down gives 3/1/2025, 4/1/2025 and so on. DATE handles the year change too: month 13 of 2025 becomes January 2026.
Be careful with month ends. EDATE on 1/31/2025 gives 2/28/2025. If each row adds a month to the row above, the series then stays on the 28th. Pointing every row at the locked first date with $A$2 keeps 3/31, 4/30 and so on correct.
In Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365, =SEQUENCE(10) spills the numbers 1 to 10 down a column in one formula. It is useful when you want a numbered list that you never have to drag.
Create a custom list for AutoFill#
If you type the same list again and again, such as regions or department names, save it as a custom list. Then typing one item and dragging fills the rest in order.
- Windows: File > Options > Advanced, scroll to General and click Edit Custom Lists….
- Mac: Excel > Preferences (or Settings) > Custom Lists.
Type the entries one per line, click Add, then OK. Custom lists also work in the Sort dialog, so you can sort by your own order instead of A to Z.
Common AutoFill mistakes#
- Dragging one number and getting a copy instead of a count. Type two values first.
- Copying a formula that should stay fixed. If every row must use the same rate cell, lock it with
$before you fill. - Gaps in the neighbouring column, which stop a double-click fill early. Check the last row after you fill.
- Expecting typed series to update. Filled values are fixed. Use a formula when the start date might change.
When a filled formula gives odd results, use the tools in our guide to checking formulas with Trace Precedents to see which cells it really uses. In a timed test, filling fast is one of the shortcuts that make you look fast.
Practise it#
Try the exercise on this page to build a monthly date series with DATE, YEAR and MONTH. Then practise Fill Down and Fill Right in a live spreadsheet and work through how Excel stores dates, with feedback on every step.
Try it yourself
This is a live spreadsheet. Type the formula in the green cell and press Enter.
A2 holds the first month of a monthly report. In A3, write a formula that gives the first day of the next month. Use DATE with YEAR and MONTH: the year of A2, the month of A2 plus 1, and day 1.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revenue | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 8 |
Tip: DATE takes year, month, day. Use YEAR(A2) for the year, MONTH(A2)+1 for the month and 1 for the day. Excel rolls month 13 into January of the next year.
Practise this in a lesson
Frequently asked questions
How do I make Excel count up instead of copying the same number?
Type the first two numbers (for example 1 and 2), select both cells, then drag the fill handle. On Windows you can also drag a single number while holding Ctrl to count up by 1.
How do I AutoFill only weekdays in Excel?
Type the first date, drag the fill handle, then click the Auto Fill Options button that appears and choose Fill Weekdays. Excel skips Saturdays and Sundays.
Why is the fill handle missing?
The fill handle can be turned off. In Excel for Windows, go to File > Options > Advanced and tick Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop. It also doesn't appear when you select several separate ranges.
Can AutoFill use my own list, like department names?
Yes. Add the list as a custom list (File > Options > Advanced > Edit Custom Lists on Windows; Excel > Preferences > Custom Lists on a Mac). Then type any item and drag to fill the rest in order.
What is the difference between AutoFill and Fill Down?
Fill Down (Ctrl+D) copies the top cell into the cells below it. AutoFill with the fill handle copies formulas the same way, but it also extends patterns such as 1, 2, 3 or Jan, Feb, Mar.