How to Use Flash Fill in Excel?

Excel Flash Fill is a highly time-saving tool that allows you to automatically fill in values. Flash Fill tries to detect the consistent pattern you type and show a faded list of suggestions. If you find the suggested list suitable, press Enter. It is highly used to split data from one column to different columns. For example, given a large dataset with shop name, shop number and you want to combine the name of the shop with the shop number so you can use Flash Fill option to achieve this goal. 

Where we can find Excel Flash Fill?

Go to the Data tab in your worksheet, you will find an option called Flash Fill. 

Different Methods to use Excel Flash Fill

There can be many ways to use Excel flash fill. Here listed are the three common ways to use Excel flash fill. So let us consider a data set with Email. Now we use Flash Fill to fill in the First name and Last name of the given data. Consider the same data set for all methods. 

Method 1:  Using Excel Flash Fill Option 

To use Excel flash Fill follow the following steps:

Step 1: Fill at least one cell of each column so that the Flash Fill could detect the pattern. 

Step 2: Click inside any cell of the table. Then click on the Data tab and then click on Flash Fill, the entire First Name column will be filled. 

Similarly, fill the data in the Last Name Column using the Flash Fill method. 

Method 2:  Using Ctrl + E

We can also use the shortcut key Ctrl + E to use Excel Flash Fill option. To do so follow the following steps:

Step 1: Fill at least one cell of each column, so that the Flash Fill could detect the pattern. 

Step 2: Now press Ctrl + E on your Keyboard and the entire column get auto-complete. 

Similarly, fill the data in LastName Column using the shortcut key.

Method 3: Using the Faded list

We can also add data in the columns using Faded List. To do so follow the following steps:

Step 1: Go to column First Name and start filling the First Name until a Faded list appears. 

Step 2: After the Faded list appears. If you find the Faded list suitable then press Enter. 

Similarly, fill the data in the Last Name Column using the Faded list. If you have a middle name then Flash Fill can also use to find the middle name.