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If you’re typing out numbers, dates, or lists manually in Excel—stop right there! There’s a faster way: it’s called Autofill, and once you know how to use it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Autofill is one of Excel’s simplest but most powerful tools. It helps you automatically continue a pattern, copy formulas, and save time with repetitive tasks. Let’s look at five practical ways you can use Autofill today.

1. Filling a Series of Numbers

Want a list from 1 to 100? No need to type them all.

How to:

• Type 1 in a cell.
• Drag the fill handle down.

By default, Excel will copy the value (1, 1, 1…). But here’s the trick: once you release the mouse button, look for the Auto Fill Options icon that appears next to your selection.

Click it and choose “Fill Series” — Excel will now complete the numeric pattern for you.

2. Creating Ordinal Numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…)

Typing out 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.? Excel can guess this pattern too.

Type just one value like 1st and drag it down.

Pro tip: This one can be tricky. Autofill works best if you start with at least 2–3 ordinal values (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and drag from there. Sometimes Excel treats these as text, so it may not always guess correctly — test it and adjust manually if needed.

3. Extending Dates Automatically

You can quickly create date lists with just one cell.

Example:

• Type 01/06/2024 (or any date).
• Drag the fill handle down — Excel will add one day per cell.
• Want a different? Check the Auto Fill Options icon. Do you want special interval (e.g., weekly)? Type two dates (like 01/06/2024 and 08/06/2024), select both, and drag.

It’s perfect for schedules, deadlines, and timelines.

4. Filling Months and Days

Excel recognizes common time-related words like months and days.

Try it:

• Type January in a cell.
• Drag the fill handle down.
• Excel will continue: February, March, and so on.

You can do the same with weekdays: Monday, Tuesday, etc.

5. Combining Text and Numbers (Like Q1, Product 1, etc.)

Excel is surprisingly smart when it comes to patterns that include both text and numbers.

Type a single cell with Product 1, Q1, or Task 1, then drag the fill handle down. Excel will usually increase the number automatically (Product 2, Product 3…).

If it doesn’t, use the Auto Fill Options icon and select Fill Series to activate the counting logic.

This trick works for lots of scenarios — campaigns, quarters, item lists, and more.

Final Tip

• Double-click the fill handle to Autofill down as far as the adjacent column goes.
• Autofill works horizontally too — not just top to bottom.
• You can make your own lists in Excel Options / Advanced / ‘Edit Custom Lists’ (in the very bottom)

Autofill saves time, reduces errors, and makes you look like an Excel pro. Start using it today, and thank yourself tomorrow.

Here is a good video to learn more:

Fortunately, the quality of internet connection is getting better today, so learning on Skype (or Teams) is just as effective as if I were sitting right next to you in person.

• You are the only person in the course and we can keep your pace and rhythm.
• There are even some additional benefits:
• You can be anywhere in the country/ world, there is no geographical limit to your learning.
• You can sit in your armchair at home or be in your office – it does not matter.
• You are using your own computer.
• There is no time wasted on travelling.
• Skype can record the lesson, so you can look it back later.

Try it: http://excelsecret.com/excel-course/

Undo or Redo an action in Excel

To undo an action press Ctrl+Z. You can remember it from the German word: Zurück.

Fortunately, this shortcut is universal, so you can use it in other programs as well. For example, Word, internet or Gmail.

I beleive in shortcuts, but if you prefer your mouse, click Undo on the Quick Access Toolbar. I keep the Quick Access Toolbar for other icons.

“Undo or Redo an action in Excel” bővebben

Did you know that F4 repeats the last command if it is possible? If you are coloring, F4 repeats the last color or formatting.

For example, I use it when I look at a larger lists and highlight the problematic data in yellow. This is much easier to press the F4 button than to always click on the “bucket”.

“F4 repeats the last color” bővebben

Some people – even serious managers – say, it’s not important to keep tracking because they ‘know’ or ‘feel’ the numbers.

“I feel like my company is doing well.”
“I don’t record my costs because I can keep track of it in my head.”
“During the holidays I surely gained 3 kilos.”

You may know … 

I believe in facts!

“What you keep tracking starts to improve” bővebben

If you just click with the mouse once per minute, that’s 480 times are a business day! If you click every second, it’s 28,800 clicks a day.

We – who works 8 hours a day with computer – are somewhere on this scale.

Mostly we click because we want to see the mouse at a given point and it’s easier to point out. (Surprisingly, this is the reason why the mouse was developed). “1. Let’s start the click-killing! Use the navigation arrows!” bővebben

Speed ​​up your work, take part in the Excel Shortcut Challenge, learn 1 shortcut each day for 30 days!

With this small effort, you can save hours and days on a long term: I believe, that you can save minimum 20-30 minutes a day!

This is 10-15 workday a year!

This can be your second holiday. For this, it is worth to let off the mouse! “Shortcut challenge: Speed up your work” bővebben

Excel time management often causes a despair: instead of a date, a number is displayed, e.g. 41615. It depends on the cellformat.

Excel stores dates as a serial number. By default, January 1, 1900 is equivalent to number 1, and for example, 1st January 2013 is 41275, or 22th September 2017 is 43000, and 18th July 2020 will be 44000! “3 secrets about Excel time management” bővebben

Okay, Excel shortcuts are useful, but how do you remember so many letters? It’s best to stick to something. (You are lucky, because you understand English, and it’s easy to remember the words. But I mostly teach Hungarians, so I also have teach them some English as well.)

Here are 7 easy-to-remember Excel shortcuts:

You’ve probably seen poker players risking everything at bet, saying “All in”. 

You can easily remember the shortcut to select everything (all cells) in an Excel table is Ctrl A (all). “7 easy-to-remember Excel shortcuts that can save you hours” bővebben