4 Quick Ways to Copy Formula Down with Shortcut in Excel

Microsoft Excel is one of the most essential software in our day-to-day professional as well as academic and regular day lives. It’s used in basic computer usage for storing data, analyzing, improvising and the list goes on. As this is about formulas data and all we need to use copy commands often to save time. There is no substitute to learning keyboard shortcuts. If you want to be better at Excel, a shortcut is a must. It is the most efficient way. In this article, I’ll demonstrate a few quick techniques for you in Excel to copy formula down with shortcut in a very detailed way. Excel copying formula down shortcuts is presented with different sections.

Contents hide

📁 Download Practice Workbook

Learn to Copy Formula Down Using Shortcut in Excel with These Methods

Using Keyboard Shortcut

1.1 Using ‘Ctrl+C’ and ‘Ctrl+V’

1.2 Copying Along Rows or Columns

1.3 Fill Tool Shortcut Using Alt Button

Using Mouse Cursor

Using Fill Tool from Toolbar

Excel VBA Code for Copying Formula Down

📄 Important Notes

📝 Takeaways from This Article

Conclusion

📁 Download Practice Workbook

The sample worksheet that was used during the discussion is available to download for free right here.

Sample for Copying Formula Down.xlsm

Learn to Copy Formula Down Using Shortcut in Excel with These Methods

Here are a total of 6 different and easy techniques to Copy Formula Down with Shortcut in Excel.

Method 1

Using Keyboard Shortcut

We can use different keyboard shortcuts depending on the scenario and our outcomes. Here, we have demonstrated three different shortcuts. One is just for usual copying and pasting, the second one is for copying and pasting along columns and rows. And finally, the third one is the Alt method for every feature that Excel offers now.

Approach

1.1 Using ‘Ctrl+C’ and ‘Ctrl+V’

If you wish to copy a formula or data to a distant random cell this method is helpful as other methods will be an overkill for this.

This is the easiest and most typical way of copying Formula down because we use these commands very frequently in typical computer usage. The Ctrl+C is the command for copying while Ctrl+V is the paste command nevertheless this method is best for copying to random cells.

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

Select the cell you want to copy the formula from. Here we have selected cell E9.

Press Ctrl+C the cell shows an animation of circling dashes.
Now select the cell you want to copy to. We have selected cell E10.
Press Ctrl+V to paste the formula. When done you’ll see the mother cell still has circling dash animation thus you can paste the same formula to other cells until you copy anything else.

Approach

1.2 Copying Along Rows or Columns

If you have a big list of rows and columns and have to copy down the formula, this is the method you are looking for.

This method is used for copying along a column or a row. Only applicable in right and below directions.

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

First, select all the cells along the column you wanna copy to. The cell which you are copying from must be at the tip. Here we have selected 8 cells starting from E9 to E16
keeping cell E9 at the tip of selection.

After selecting all the cells press Ctrl+D and you are done. The D stands for down here.

We can also do the same for rows too. First, select all the cells along the row you wanna copy to in this situation the cell which you are copying from must be on the leftmost side. Here we have selected 3 cells from C10 to E10 keeping C10 at the leftmost side.

After selecting all the cells press Ctrl+R and you are done. The R stands for rows here.

Alt Button

1.3 Fill Tool Shortcut Using Alt Button

This shortcut is used to copy data along rows and columns. It’s a very easy way of using the Fill Tool using a keyboard. This rule applies to all four directions: left, right, above, and below.

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

Select the whole row or column you wanna copy to, keeping the mother cell at the beginning of the selection. We have selected from E10 to E16. Keeping E10 at the first position.

Press Alt, and you’ll see all options popping up with some letters which are their respective temporary shortcuts now. You can see a red rectangle in the picture below.

Press H which will take you to the Home option on the toolbar.
Now press F.

Press I, as a lot of other tools’ names that start with “F”, you’ll have to press the next letter to use the Fill The Fill tool is at the top right side of the ribbon.

Now press D, R, U, and I for copying down, right, up, and left respectively.
We pressed D as we previously selected and want to copy the formula downwards

Method 2

Using Mouse Cursor

It’s convenient for small-scale data and is used for copying along rows and columns.

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

Place your mouse cursor on the bottom-right corner of the cell you want to copy and you’ll see the cursor sign is changed to “+” this.

Now Drag it along the column or row you wish and release it to copy. This rule applies to all four directions: Left, Right, Above, and Below.

Upon completion, the dataset will finally look like this.

Method 3

Using Fill Tool from Toolbar

It’s the most versatile method. It fits any kind of situation. As this method requires tools from the toolbar, it’s a bit longer as we’re gonna have to access the toolbar. This rule applies to all four directions: left, right, above, and below

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

Select the whole row or column you want to copy to, keeping the mother cell at the beginning of the selection.

Now go to the ribbon and select the Home tab on your ribbon.

At the rightmost side of the bar you’ll find the Fill tool, select this and a small window will pop up.

Now choose Left, Right, Up, or Down for copying directions. As we have selected the column, we will choose the Down option to copy along the column.

Method 4

Excel VBA Code for Copying Formula Down

You may also use the VBA code if you wish to copy a formula down for rows quickly.

⬇️⬇️ STEPS ⬇️⬇️

First, select the cells you want to copy the formula to include the mother cell. Press Alt+F11 to open the “Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications” window.

Click on the Insert option and then click the Module option respectively from the “Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications” window.

Now in the new module, type the following code and Save.

Sub Copyformula_Column()
Selection.AutoFill Destination:=Range(Selection, Cells(ActiveCell.SpecialCells(xlLastCell).Row, Selection.Column))
End Sub

Here’s the dialogue box you are gonna paste the code into.
Now go to the Macros option from the Developer option in the Toolbar.

Now a new window will pop up. To proceed, choose the Macro Name from the dialog box and hit Options.

Now choose a shortcut key for copying and click OK, we chose then hit Run

As we selected Ctrl+F as our shortcut key in the previous window, returning to the worksheet select the mother cell and press Ctrl+F for copying along the column.

📄 Important Notes

🖊️ Always try to use convenient ways for different situations.

🖊️ Always try to use keyboard shortcuts.

📝 Takeaways from This Article

📌 Copying formula along rows and columns

📌 How to copy formula along different directions

📌 Copying data and formula to random cells.

Conclusion

I’ve tried to detail almost any approach to copy a formula down quickly in Excel in this article. Practice on your own after taking a look at the excel copy formula down shortcut practice workbook. I sincerely hope you can use it. Please share your experience with us in the comment box. The Excelden crew is always available to answer your questions. Keep educating yourself by reading. For more excel related articles please visit our website Excelden.com.