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Flash Fill
CtrlEEntry & fillType one example and Excel fills the rest of the column by pattern.
Difficulty
Amateur
1What it does
Flash Fill watches the example you type next to a column, infers the pattern — splitting a name, pulling a domain out of an email, reformatting a code — and fills the whole column to match. No formula required, and it's instant on thousands of rows.
2The shortcut
CtrlE
- 1In the column beside your data, type the result you want for the first row.
- 2Start typing the second row — Excel previews the rest in grey.
- 3Press
Ctrl + Eto accept and fill the column.
3Before → after
Press the shortcut to play it on a sample sheet.
or press the keys for real
Before — one example typed
| A — Full name | B — First | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full name | First |
| 2 | Lovelace, Ada | Ada |
| 3 | Turing, Alan | |
| 4 | Hopper, Grace |
4When you use it
- Split
Last, Firstinto separate first- and last-name columns. - Pull the domain out of an email address.
- Reformat phone numbers or account codes to a consistent shape.
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