How to Use Flash Fill in Excel

Flash Fill is one of the best tools in Excel - but not many people know about it! This feature is available from Excel 2013 onwards. Learn how it works in this two-minute video.

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With Flash Fill, Excel can combine the information in two columns for you, or pull out a specific piece of text out of the middle of a cell for you. But you have to train it first.

For example, if you have title, first name and surname in three columns, but want to create a cell with all this information combined, add a fourth column. Type the data into the top cell in this new column and move down into the cell below, as in Nicky’s example above. Then, press CTRL + E and Excel will auto complete the rest for you!

Don’t confuse this with Autofill – learn about this great time-saving tool in our blog here.

Learn the 10 core principles to create a happy and productive workplace in Henry Stewart's book, The Happy Manifesto.

Hi, we are Happy

We help organisations create happy, productive workplaces, where people feel trusted, work to their strengths and are confident with their IT software.

We want everyone to find joy in at least 80% of their work, everyday.

Our workplace solutions include:
– Workplace consultancy
– Leadership and personal development programmes
– Government-funded management apprenticeships
– AI and Excel training

And much more. Get in touch with our friendly team to discuss your current challenge and find out how we can help you.

Claire Lickman

Claire is Head of Marketing at Happy. She has worked at Happy since 2016, and is responsible for Happy’s marketing strategy, website, social media and more. Claire first heard about Happy in 2012 when she attended a mix of IT and personal development courses. These courses were life-changing and she has been a fan of Happy ever since. She has a personal blog at lecari.co.uk.

Next Conference: 2025 Happy Workplaces Conference

Our Happy Workplaces Conference is our biggest event of the year, and we’d love for you to join us on Thursday 12th June!

This year’s event will be held in London, venue TBC. We may also offer a hybrid option for people to join us online simultaneously — do let us know if you are interested in joining online and we can add you to the waiting list.

As always, our next conference will be filled with interaction, discussion and space for reflection.

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Want more ideas for creating happy, productive workplaces?

Sign up for our Happy Manifesto newsletter and discover fresh ways to ignite joy and productivity at work. Get expert tips, insights, and ideas that challenge the norm—straight to your inbox. Join our movement and start your journey for a trust-based, values-led organisation.