AutoFilling Numbers with a Trailing Period

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 22, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


Iana wants to AutoFill a column of sequential numbers as "1.", "2.", etc., through "150.". The AutoFill will only work without the trailing period, but she wants the period there.

As Iana has discovered, AutoFill doesn't do a great job on figuring out how to "increment" text. It does OK if you are working with well-established sequences, such as the alphabet or days of the week, but it is downright stupid when it comes to most other text values. And, unfortunately, entering a number (1) followed by a period places a text string (1.) in the cell. Bingo! AutoFill chokes.

There are at least three potential solutions. The first is to stick to numbers (which AutoFill can work with) and apply a custom format to the cells in order to add the period. Follow these steps:

  1. Use AutoFill to create your sequence of 150 cells, numbered 1 through 150.
  2. Select the cells.
  3. Select the Home tab of the ribbon.
  4. Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Number group. Excel displays the Format Cells dialog box.
  5. If the Number tab is not displayed, select it.
  6. In the Category list, choose Custom. The dialog box changes so you can enter a custom format. (See Figure 1.)
  7. Figure 1. The Number tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

  8. In the Type box enter the following: 0"." (the digit 0 followed by a period enclosed within quote marks).
  9. Click OK.

Your numbers should now all appear just fine with a trailing period. And, best of all, they are still numbers so you could do math with them, if necessary.

A couple of ExcelTips subscribers suggested a second method to get sequential numbers with a trailing period. This method uses a formula and results in numbers without applying a custom format to the cells. Follow these steps:

  1. In cell A1 enter the following formula:
  2.        =Row(A1)&"."
    
  3. Use AutoFill to create your sequence of 150 cells, numbered 1 through 150 which are automatically followed by periods.

Another approach is to go ahead and expect that your numbers will end up as text. In this case, you should make sure that columns A and B are empty and then follow these steps:

  1. In column A, use AutoFill to create your sequence of 150 cells, numbered 1 through 150.
  2. In cell B1 (or whatever cell is to the right of the first cell in the column A sequence) enter the following formula:
  3.        =A1 & "."
    
  4. With cell B1 still selected, double-click the fill handle at the bottom-right corner of the cell. You should now have a range of cells in column B that have your 1 through 150 numbers with the trailing period.
  5. Make sure the range of cells are selected in column B. (For instance, select the range B1:B150 if those contain your numbers followed by periods.)
  6. Press Ctrl+C to copy the range to the Clipboard.
  7. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
  8. Click the down-arrow under the Paste tool and select to paste Values.
  9. Delete column A.

Your numbers should now all appear just fine, with the trailing period, in column A. The difference between this approach and the earlier approach is that in this case the numbers aren't really numbers in the eyes of Excel—they are text values.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13294) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing the Way Endnotes Are Numbered

Word is flexible on how it numbers your endnotes. This tip shows how easy it is to make the changes to the numbering system.

Discover More

Adding Table Columns to Columns with Merged Cells

Word's table editor allows you to modify the structure of tables in a wide variety of ways. If you want to add columns to ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Everything Except Numbers

Got some numbers and letters mixed up in the same cell? You may need to get rid of those letters so you are left with ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Entering Data as Thousands

There are many different ways you may need to enter data in a worksheet. For instance, you might want to enter data in ...

Discover More

Switching Editing Location

Excel allows you to edit the contents of a cell in two places--"the cell itself or in the Formula bar. If you want to ...

Discover More

Deleting Rows before a Cutoff Date

If you are using Excel to work with data that is date-centered, you may want to delete some of the data before a specific ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 + 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.