The Fill-Down function of Google Sheets lets you fill entire columns of complex data, dates, and numbers in a matter of seconds.
First I will show you how to use Google Sheets' autofill feature for mathematic equations.
Mathematics
The most common way people know how to autofill google sheets is for mathematic formulas.
Step #1: Click the Original Cell
The first thing to do will be to click the cell where you input your original equation. As you can see in the formula box, this cell is dictated by a subtraction formula from Cell I2.
Step #2: Click and Drag
At the bottom-right corner of the cell, there will be a small, blue square. Hold the left-click button on your mouse and drag it down the column.
As you drag down the column, any unlocked cells will fill themselves in to the equation. This will quickly do the math for you, as you only need to fill in the equation once.
Step #3: Verify
As you can see, the fill-down function has done 11/12 of the subtraction problems for you.
Other Applications
Now let's talk about the other major ways that you can use the fill down function. The main ways we will discuss are:
- Dates
- Numbers
- Days
Step #1: Set the Pattern
The main thing that you need to know is that the fill down function works by recognizing and fulfilling patterns it sees. For things like Dates, Numbers, and Weekdays, you will be able to sometimes turn as little as one cell into a statement for Google Sheets to fill out.
Dates: For dates, simply fill in the date in the normal way you would on any form (MM/DD/YY) or (DD/MM/YY) if you do that sort of thing.
Number: For numbers, the way I do it is I fill in the starting number along with the following number in the cell below.
You will also need to highlight both and then click and drag from the 2nd cells corner.
Day of the Week: For listing days of the week, you can simply write down the day of the week or even its abbreviation (Mon, Tues, Wed, etc.). When you autofill dates, google sheets is able to detect those patterns and fill the rest of the dates out for you.
Step #2: Verify
As you can see, the cells have filled themselves out thanks to the fill-down function.
Simply highlight and drag, and you can rapidly fill out your tables.