Excel Flash Fill Guide: Save Time on Repetitive Data

Save Time with Repetitive Data Entry in Microsoft Excel (Flash Fill)

Working with repetitive data in Microsoft Excel—like names, emails, or phone numbers—can eat time. Excel’s Flash Fill (introduced in 2013 and improved in later versions) can recognise patterns and auto-complete data for you, saving hours of manual work.

💡 What Is Flash Fill in Excel?

Flash Fill is a smart Excel tool that auto-fills data when it detects a pattern from your initial inputs. It’s ideal for:

Formatting phone numbers
Extracting domain names from email addresses
Separating first and last names
Combining text from multiple cells

🔧 How to Enable Flash Fill

Flash Fill is enabled by default. If not, activate it:

Go to the Data tab
In the Data Tools group, click Flash Fill

Flash Fill Step-by-Step Example

Extract First Names from Full Names

Step 1: Type the first name manually in the adjacent cell.

Step 2: Begin typing the second name—Excel previews the pattern.

Step 3: Press Enter to accept the suggestion.

Alternate methods: Data → Flash Fill or press Ctrl+E (Windows) / Command+E (Mac).

Flash Fill Use Cases

Example 1: Combine First and Last Names

Column A: John
Column B: Smith
Column C: Type “John Smith” then press Ctrl+E to fill down.

Example 2: Extract Email Domain

Column A: john.smith@example.com
Column B: Type “example.com”, then press Ctrl+E to auto-fill.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Excel Flash Fill

Windows: Ctrl+E
Mac: Command+E

⚖️ Flash Fill vs. Formulas

Feature	Flash Fill	Formulas (LEFT, MID, RIGHT)
Best For	One-time data tasks	Dynamic, ongoing updates
Skill Level	Beginner-friendly	Requires function knowledge
Flexibility	Fast, no formulas	More control and flexibility

✅ Best Practices for Flash Fill

Use it for static, one-time data cleanup.
Always verify the filled data for accuracy.
For live or large datasets, prefer formulas (or Power Query) for flexibility.