How to auto populate data in Microsoft Excel

The auto populate feature in Excel is a convenient tool that allows users to quickly and accurately fill a series of cells with data or formulas. With this feature, Excel can automatically recognize patterns in data and fill in missing values in a series.This feature can save a significant amount of time and reduce the risk of errors in large data sets or complex calculations.

In this tutorial we will learn how to auto-populate data in Microsoft Excel.Auto-populating data in Excel can save you time and effort when working with large data sets. There are several ways to auto-populate data in Excel. Autopopulating in Excel involves the recognition of a predefined pattern, which is then used to populate adjacent cells accordingly. This feature can also be utilized to efficiently apply formulas or functions to multiple cells.

Method 1 : Using Auto Populate feature to Generate a Series of Numbers

Step 1 – Fill the First Cells to Define a Pattern

• Fill the first cells of the series manually so that a pattern is generated which is then recognized by excel.
• Here we will generate a series showing multiples of 8 i.e. the common difference in each cell would be 8.

Step 2 – Select the Cells

• Select the manually filled cells using the “Handle Select” and “Drag and Drop” method.

Step 3 – Hover the Cursor to Right Bottom Corner

• Hover the cursor to the right bottom corner of the selected cell.
• The cursor will change into a black plus sign.

Step 4 – Handle Select and Drag and Drop 

• Use the Handle Select and Drag and Drop method to drag the black plus sign over the desired cells.
• The series will be generated based on the predefined pattern.

Method 2 : Applying Formulas using Auto Populate Feature

Step 1 – Apply the Formula in the First Cell

• Apply the formula or function manually in the first cell.
• We will apply the SUM function in the cell.

Step 2 – Hover the Cursor to Right Bottom Corner

• Hover the cursor to the right bottom corner of the cell containing the function or the formula.
• The cursor will change into a black plus sign.

Step 3 – Handle Select and Drag and Drop 

• Use the Handle Select and Drag and Drop method to drag the black plus sign over the desired cells.
• The formula or the function will be applied on the cells..