Identify the Different Types of Copy
Once you’ve entered data into a cell, there will come a time when you’ll want to copy it into another.
You can do a standard copy/paste, but there are a few different copy types in Excel:
“Simple” copy
Fill series
Personalized fill series
Automatic fill
Let’s have a look at these different operations.
You're going to use the fill handle to perform these operations.
Find the Fill Handle
When you select a cell, the fill handle appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the cell, outlined in red here:
Use the Fill Handle
Copy a Cell
If you want an exact copy of the contents of a cell, you just need to place your cursor in the bottom right-hand corner of the selected cell.
The mouse cursor will then turn into a black cross.
Click and drag the fill handle either horizontally or vertically to copy whatever is in your selected cell into the cells you’ve highlighted:
It can be a bit tricky the first time you use the fill handle, so don't worry if you make a mistake. Just try again! You’ll get the hang of it quickly and, soon, you won’t be able to imagine using Excel without it. :)
If you're working with numeric data, the result will be exactly the same as with text data.
Test this out with the number 26:
Input 26 into a cell and then confirm.
Select the cell.
Copy the cell to the right.
You’ll notice that you have exactly the same number in all of the cells.
Automate Data Entry With a Fill Series
Fill series? What does that mean?
In Excel, a fill series or increment means adding a constant amount to a data value.
If we look at the previous example, starting from number 26, you can increase by 1 to get 27, 28, 29 and so on.
So, let’s practice doing this:
In a cell, enter 26 and confirm.
In the cell immediately to the right, enter 27 and confirm.
Select the two cells.
Use the fill handle to copy your data over to the right.
You’ll notice that in each column, Excel has added the constant value of 1 to the data.
You can get the same result using the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
Give it a try!
Input a number into a cell and then confirm.
Select this cell.
Move the cursor to the lower right corner of the cell to get the fill handle.
Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
Drag downwards or to the right.
Check out what happens: Excel has autofilled the values in the cells, adding 1 at each step.
Carry Out a Personalized Fill Series
The steps in the series don’t always have to be +1. Excel can spot a series you start off and copy it for you. Give it a try with this +5 series.
In a cell, enter 5 and confirm.
In the cell immediately to the right, enter 10 and confirm.
Select these two cells.
Use the fill handle to copy your data over to the right.
Excel will use the increment step you've defined, which is 5.
Carry out an Automatic Fill
You’re now familiar with the basics of copying data using the fill handle.
But Excel is a smart application, and it can save you lots of time with its built-in predefined lists, such as the days of the week, months and quarters.
For example, if you need to fill a table with the 12 months of the year, you can use automatic fill.
Try it out:
Type January into a cell and then confirm.
Select this cell.
Move the cursor to the lower right corner of the cell to get the fill handle.
Drag downwards.
Excel recognizes that the word “January” belongs to a predefined list and completes the full 12 months when you copy it with the fill handle.
Automatic fill works with many sequences, such as days of the week, dates, etc. Over to you to explore these options!
Watch the Video Tutorial
Watch a step-by-step recap of everything described in this chapter in the tutorial below:
Let’s Recap!
There are different ways to copy data in Excel.
The fill handle allows you to do a simple copy, a fill series, a personalized fill series or an automatic fill.
A simple copy allows you to duplicate data.
A fill series allows you to increase your data value by a constant value. You can personalize this fill series by defining the increment step.
Now you know how to copy data. I’ll see you in the next chapter, where we’ll look at formulas!
