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⌨ Excel Shortcut Guide

Flash Fill Shortcut in Excel

Use this quick reference to learn the Windows shortcut, Mac shortcut, Ribbon path, and best use case for flash fill in Excel.

Shortcut keys

WindowsCtrl + E
MacCmd + E

Ribbon path

Data → Flash Fill

What it does

Auto-fills a column based on a pattern Excel detects from your examples. Great for splitting names, reformatting dates, or extracting text.

How to use this shortcut

  1. Open the Excel workbook and select the relevant cell, row, column, range, or sheet.
  2. Press the shortcut keys shown above for your platform.
  3. Confirm any dialog options if Excel opens a menu or prompt.

FAQ

What is the Excel shortcut for flash fill?

On Windows, use Ctrl + E. On Mac, use Cmd + E.

Where is flash fill in the Excel Ribbon?

The Ribbon path is Data → Flash Fill.

What does flash fill do in Excel?

Auto-fills a column based on a pattern Excel detects from your examples. Great for splitting names, reformatting dates, or extracting text.