FLASH FILL Options in Microsoft Excel 365!
Tags: completeguidetoflash, exceltutorials, excel
Published: 2021-11-15 08:00:24

---
title: FLASH FILL Options in Microsoft Excel 365!
published: true
date: 2021-11-11 13:22:00 UTC
tags: CompleteguidetoFlash,ExcelTutorials,Excel
canonical_url: https://geekexcel.com/flash-fill-in-microsoft-excel-365-a-complete-guide-with-examples/
---

## A Complete Guide to Know About Flash Fill in Excel:

Excel Flash Fill Option is mainly used to automatically fill the data in the column using the example pattern. In this article, we are going to learn the **Flash Fill options** in Excel 365.

## Versions of Excel have Flash Fill Option:

- Excel Flash Fill was released in Excel 2013, and other later versions (Excel 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel Office 365) have this.
- Excel 2010 or any other previous versions didn’t have Flash Fill Option.

## Flash Fill in Excel:

- You can find Flash Fill Option in **two ways** in Excel 365.

1. On the **Data** Tab in Ribbon Command. In the **Data Tools ** Section, **Select** the **Flash**  **Fill** Icon.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv17.png)

2. On the **Home** tab, in the Editing Section **Select Fill** Option, then **Click**  **Flash**  **Fill** from            the menu.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv18.png)

## Use Flash Fill in Excel:

- Here we are going to see an example of Flash Fill for how to use it.
- In the below example, we want to join the first and second names of a person and city names to create an E-mail Id.
- We give the pattern to Excel for the first cell. The remaining cells are filled with the  **Flash Fill**  option.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv19.png)

We can use  **Flash Fill**  by other options in Excel. Let us see one by one.

### Automatic Flash Fill:

- Flash Fill will automatically fill results with the help of the few examples we have given.
- Excel then shows a preview in  **light**   **gray**  color, and then you have to  **press Enter ** key to see the results.
- Flash Fill cannot fill upward cells in the column, and it can  **only fill the downward cells**  from the example.

### Flash Fill Command in the Ribbon:

If you want to activate the Flash Fill option manually, you need to know the following instructions.

- You need to ** type the example data**  that you want to be returned.
- Select the cells you want to fill and the cells you have given examples.
- Then, go to the  **Data**  tab. In the  **Data**   **Tools**  section,  **select**  the  **Flash**   **Fill**  Command.
- Don’t forget this command also found on the  **Home**  tab, in the  **Editing**   **Section**  Choose  **Fill**  Option and  **Select Flash**   **Fill**  Option from the menu.

### Flash Fill Keyboard Shortcut:

- In Excel, everything has shortcut options. So Flash Fill also has a shortcut key.
- You have to do some actions before using Shortcuts.
- Type the example data which you want to be returned.
- Select both the cells you want to fill and cells with examples.
- Now, press CTRL + E on your keyboard.

### Flash Fill from the Fill Handle:

- We will use flash Fill from Fill Handle.
- To do this,  **Select**  the  **example**   **cells**  and  **Right-Click**  on it, then  **drag**  the Fill Handle Down. Then release right-click from a mouse.
- Choose  **Flash**   **Fill**  Option from the menu.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv21.png)

### Add Flash Fill to the Quick Access Tool Bar:

- **Right-Click**  on the ** Quick Access Tool Bar**  or the  **Ribbon**  to view the Excel Options Window.
- Click  **the Quick Access Toolbar**  from the menu.
- Select  **All Commands**  and Choose  **Flash Fill**  from the commands.
- Hit the  **Ok**  button.
- Now, We will add the Flash Fill Icon to the Quick Access Tool Bar.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv22.png)

## Enable or Disable Flash Fill:

- You can disable  **Flash**   **Fill**  Option in Excel.
- To do this, you need to go to the  **File**  tab on the Ribbon. Select  **Options**  from the menu.
- Then Select  **the Advanced**  tab; uncheck ** the Automatically Flash Fill**  option from the Editing Options.
- Hit the  **Ok**  button.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv23.png)

Still, you will use Flash Fill with the help of Ribbon Command and Shortcut.

## Practical Examples for Flash Fill in Excel:

Let’s see some set of examples for Flash Fill, and it will help you understand clearly.

### Extract the Last or First Name from a Full Name:

- You can easily ** Extract the Last or First Name**  from a full name.
- For example, we will Extract the First Name from a full name using Flash Fill like the below.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv24.png)

### Concatenate First and last Name to Create a Full Name:

- The following example uses Flash Fill to Combine the First and Last Names into a <last> <first> format.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv25.png)

### Convert Names to Initials:

- Flash Fill can ** extract the Initials**  from the first and last names.
- If you have separate first and last names, they will be combined and removed the initial from it.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv26.png)

### Change Any Text to Upper Case:

- You can change the text case for your data using Flash Fill.
- Here, we have shown the example for **changing the text to Upper Case**.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv27.png)

### Change Any Text to Lower Case:

- You can change the text case for your data using Flash Fill.
- Here, we have shown the example for **changing the text to Lower Case**.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv28.png)

### Change Any Text to Proper Case:

- You can change the text case for your data using Flash Fill.
- Here, we have shown the example for **Change the text to Proper Case**.
- The excellent case will change the Mixed Case of data.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv29.png)

### Extract the Company Name from an E-Mail Address:

- You can get a **Company Name from the E-Mail** Address using Flash Fill.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv30.png)

### Extract the Name from an E-Mail Address:

- The following example shows that you can **Extract Name from the E-mail** Id.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv31.png)

### Create an E-Mail Address from the list of First and Last Name:

- This example shows you how to **create an E-mail**  **address** in the format **<first>.<last>@companyname.com** using **Flash**  **Fill** Option.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv32.png)

### Extract the Number from Any Text String:

- If your text contains a number, then you can extract the number from the text strings using Flash Fill.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv33.png)

### Extract the Letters from Any Text Strings:

- If you want to extract the text part of your data, then use the Flash Fill method to do that.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NV34.png)

### Format Numbers As Phone Numbers:

- The following example uses Flash Fill to convert 10-digit phone numbers to (###) ###-#### format.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv35.png)

### Remove Excess Space Characters:

- The following example shows you to remove extra space characters ( from the start, middle, and end of the text ) using Flash Fill.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv36.png)

### Convert Text to Date Values:

- Flash Fill can convert text strings into date values.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv37.png)

## Options Button in Flash Fill:

- After using Flash Fills, a floating options button appear at the end of the column. If you click this button it will show some options.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv38.png)

## Flash Fill Error:

If the Flash Fill cannot determine any pattern, it will show like the below image.

![](https://geekexcel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/nv39.png)

### Remedies when Flash Fill shows this Error:

- Go through your example and correct any errors. A small spelling mistake can result in Excel failing to find a pattern.
- Provide more examples for Flash Fill. It may need a few more examples to find the correct way.
- If the Flash Fill option doesn’t run, it may be disabled. Then Check the Excel Options menu to see whether the automatically run flash fill option is enabled or not.

## Limitations of Flash Fill:

- The results are not dynamic.
- Flash Fill may not always return the result. The pattern can be too complex for Excel.
- Flash Fill does not fill the results horizontally, and it can only fill results vertically.

## End of the Article:

In the above article, you can understand how to use  **Flash Fill**  and practical examples and their limitations. Drop your  **feedback**  in the comment section. Thanks for visiting [**Geek Excel.**](https://geekexcel.com/) Keep Learning!!