Microsoft Excel users can turn to the program’s Flash Fill feature when they have information in one column that they need to fill into an adjacent column with matching data. This can be done manually, of course, but using Flash Fill makes it much faster and easier. In this post, you’ll find six ways to save time when using Flash Fill in Microsoft Excel, including how to quickly flash fill your last used data, how to use Flash Fill with conditional formatting, and how to flash fill conditional formats based on color-coded data.
The Not There Yet Button
We’ve all been there before. You’re working on a project in Excel and you suddenly realize that you’ve been doing the same task over and over again. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to automate those repetitive tasks? Well, there is! It’s called Flash Fill and it’s a fantastic time-saving tool. How does it work?
Let’s say you have three columns with data in them. Column A has your number of staff members, Column B has the number of hours they work per week, and Column C has how much they are paid per hour. You want to find out how much each staff member will make this year after taxes. With just one click of your mouse, you can use Flash Fill to do this calculation automatically for you by entering =A2*B2*C2 into cell D3 (where A2 would be row 2).
Copy Values into the Same Column or Row
You can use Flash Fill to quickly copy values from one column or row to another column or row. To do this, simply select the cells you want to copy, then click the Flash Fill button on the Home tab. In the dialog box that appears, choose a cell below or to the right of your selection and fill it with one of the following: Top if you want to copy all cells above; Bottom if you want to copy all cells below; Left if you want to copy all cells on the left side; Right if you want to copy all cells on the right side. After filling in these fields, hit OK and your data will be copied into those corresponding locations.
Copy Values from Other Worksheets
Do you have data in other worksheets that you need to copy over to your current sheet? You can do this quickly and easily with the Flash Fill feature in Excel. Simply type the values you want to copy in the first few cells, then press Enter. Excel will automatically fill in the rest of the cells for you.
Hide Details You Don’t Need
- When you’re working with data in Excel, there’s no need to include every single detail.
- In fact, including too many details can make your data harder to work with and understand.
- So, when you’re setting up your spreadsheet, take a moment to think about which details you actually need and which you can leave out. 4. That way, you won’t have to type those details over and over again—which will save you time!
- Another time-saving tip is to keep your formatting consistent throughout the entire spreadsheet—that way, if one piece of information needs to be changed or added later on, it’ll be easy to see where that change needs to happen.
5) Calculate Totals from Multiple Rows and Columns
You can use Flash Fill to quickly calculate totals from multiple rows and columns of data. To do this, simply select the cells you want to sum, type the =SUM() function, and then press Enter. Flash Fill will automatically fill in the rest of the cells for you. For example, if I wanted to find the total number of items I sold by color, I would first highlight the red column in my table. Then I would enter =SUM(B1:B5) into cell C1 (to show how many items are sold per color), press Enter, and it would complete all other calculations for me based on my table’s layout.
6) Copy an Entire Row or Column
You can quickly copy an entire row or column in Microsoft Excel using the flash fill feature. This can be useful if you need to create a new spreadsheet with similar data to an existing one. To use flash fill, simply type the data you want to copy into a new cell and then press Enter. Excel will automatically fill in the rest of the cells in that row or column.
