Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. 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: Quickly Filling a Column.
When creating a many-row worksheet, it is often necessary to type a formula in one of the top rows and fill the column with that same formula. A convenient way to find the bottom of the column is to go there once (when you are first working with the worksheet) and place a character in each cell of the last row.
Now, when you place your formula at the top of the column, you can simply do this:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11442) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Quickly Filling a Column.
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2015-10-19 13:28:13
James
Thanks I find these tips to be helpful.
I have a question about Pieter de la Court comment on 17 Oct 2015, can this be done to update a row (not a column as in your example)?
Thanks
2015-10-19 04:07:37
Gerhard
Instead of Ctrl+Shift+DownArrow, you could use Shift+End+DownArrow. One key saved :-)
2015-10-17 16:22:28
Alan Wilcox
I agree with Pieter de la Court. i use this all the time, at least once a week in 2 reports that I have to produce. i delete the contents of the column. Do a VLOOKUP to insert the stock for Row1, then using the copy handle of that cell double click it and it fills the column with all the stocks for each item until it reaches the last line of the report.
Regards
Alan
2015-10-17 09:22:48
Ingvard Bach
Good trick and it works similarly with the other arrows
2015-10-17 08:57:59
@ Aref: when your data set is formatted as a table, these 'tricks' are not needed. The whole column fills automatically with the formula you have typed, for as many lines there are in the table.
2015-10-17 08:54:26
freddy lemmens
@ Pieter, your solutions is a great time saver BUT only when there is data on the left side of the cell you double-click.
2015-10-17 08:04:06
Copy the formula then f5 to enter the range and paste to the selected cells
2015-10-17 06:43:41
Aref Assadollahzadeh
Dear Sir,
I think there is a problem for this tip that means if you Press Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow This selects all the cells from the formula through the "bottom marker" in the column.
Question:How about if you only want to copy the formula to 200 row only and you have many columns to do this one by one ?
2015-10-17 06:16:31
Pieter de la Court
There is an even simpler way to do this, without having to place bottom markers:
Just enter the formula in the first row of the table (under the header) and double-click the copy handle of the same cell. (The copy handle is a small square dot at the right bottom corner of the cell. The cursor changes into a + sign when you hover over this spot).
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. 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: 
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