Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Copying Cells to Fill a Range.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 11, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Excel provides a pair of nifty shortcut keys that can be used to copy cells down and to the right. For instance, let's say you want to copy the contents of cell C3 to the fifteen cells just below it. All you need to do is select the sixteen cells (making sure that cell C3 is the top cell in the selection) and then press Ctrl+D. Cell C3 is copied to all the other cells below it.
Likewise, if you want to copy cells to the right, you can simply make a selection and press Ctrl+R. The value of the left-most cell in the selection will be copied to its right, filling out the selected range.
You can combine these two shortcuts to fill an entire range of cells. Let's say that you have a value in cell C3 and you want it copied to the range C3:M24. All you need to do is select that range and then press Ctrl+D and immediately press Ctrl+R. The first command copies the first row downward, which means that C3:C24 now contains the desired value. When you press Ctrl+R, everything in C3:C24 is copied to the right so that the entire range of C3:M24 is filled.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10261) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Copying Cells to Fill a Range.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
Paste information in a worksheet, and you may end up with Excel placing it into lots of different cells. If you want it ...
Discover MoreYou can delete cells from a worksheet, and Excel will move the remaining cells either to the left or upwards. Deletions, ...
Discover MoreSeparating text values in one cell into a group of other cells is a common need when dealing with text. Excel provides a ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-09-11 07:26:50
Alan Cannon
An easier way to fill the range C3:M24 would be to select the range beginning with cell C3, then press F2 to enter edit mode then press Ctrl + Enter.
2024-09-11 06:34:48
Mark E Watson
Hymie - The result of Ctrl-D/Ctrl-R versus the fill square is the same. For me the difference is keyboard versus mouse. I like to think that I'm more productive sticking to keyboard shortcuts, but your mileage may vary ;-)
Alan Cannon - Wow! Now that's a fill technique I don't remember ever hearing! Thanks for sharing.
2021-03-01 10:39:38
Villunia
Just tried this trick and got excited. Thanks!
2021-03-01 09:15:28
Hymie
What is the preference of this method over just grabbing the little square at the bottom right corner and dragging it to the cells you want to copy into?
2021-02-27 08:05:58
Alan Cannon
I often use a different method for copying left, right, up, down, or a combination thereof.
1. Select the range of cells you want filled with the same value, but be sure to click the original cell 1st.
2. Press F2 to enter edit mode, then press Ctrl+Enter together.
This even works if the selected range is blank. Just select the range to be filled, type what you want into the active cell, then press the Ctrl+Enter combination.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments