How to Auto Add Dates in Excel

If you’re someone who frequently works with spreadsheets, you know how tiring it can be to manually add dates to your Excel sheets. Fortunately, Microsoft Excel offers an auto-fill feature that can make the process significantly less time-consuming. With the auto-fill feature, you can generate a list of dates with just a few clicks.

In this blog post, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of how to auto-add dates in Excel. By following these simple instructions, you’ll be able to quickly and easily add dates to your Excel spreadsheets and save time on repetitive data entry tasks. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Excel user, this guide will assist you in automating your workflow and help you take

Step 1: Select the cell

The first thing you need to do is select the cell where you want to start adding dates. Click on the cell and it should be highlighted.

Step 2: Enter the starting date

Once you have selected the cell, enter the starting date in the cell. For example, if you want to start with January 1, 2022, type 01/01/2022 into the cell.

Step 3: Select the cell and drag the fill handle

Next, select the cell that contains the starting date and hover your mouse over the fill handle, which is located in the bottom right corner of the cell. The cursor should change to a small black cross. Then, click and drag the fill handle down to the bottom of the range where you want the dates to appear.

Step 4: Choose the type of date format

Once you have dragged the fill handle, release it and the dates should appear in the cells. Excel defaults to a date format, but you can choose a different format if you prefer. To change the date format, select the cells containing the dates and right-click. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Format Cells’ and choose your preferred date format from the list.

Tips:

• You can also fill dates horizontally by dragging the fill handle to the right instead of down.
• If you want to skip days or months in your list, enter the first two dates and drag the fill handle with the right mouse button. Release the button and select ‘Fill Series’ from the dropdown menu.

In conclusion

That’s it! Now you know how to auto-add dates in Excel, saving you time and reducing the risk of manual errors. Once you get the hang of it, you can use this feature to easily add dates to various Excel spreadsheets. Feel free to experiment with different date formats and see what works best for you.

Other ways to auto-add dates in Excel

The fill handle method is not the only way to auto-add dates in Excel. If you’re working with a longer list of dates, using Excel’s built-in series feature may be more efficient. Here’s how:

Using the series feature

To use the series feature in Excel, start by selecting the cell where you want to start the series. Then, right-click the cell and select ‘Format Cells’ from the dropdown menu. In the Format Cells dialog box, select ‘Date’ from the category list and choose your desired date format. Click ‘OK’ to save changes.

Next, enter the date value for the next cell in the series. For example, if you want to create a daily series of dates starting on January 1, 2022, enter “2-Jan-22” in the cell adjacent to the starting date cell. Select both cells, and hover over the fill handle until the cursor becomes a black cross. Drag the fill handle over the range where you want the series to appear, and release the mouse button.

Excel will automatically fill in the cells with the dates in the series. You can also use this feature to create a series with different date intervals such as weekly, monthly or quarterly.

Using formulas to auto-add dates

Another way to auto-add dates in Excel is to use formulas. Here’s an example:

If you want to create a series of dates for the next 30 days, use the TODAY function. In an empty cell, type “=TODAY()”. The cell will display today’s date.

Next, enter “1” into an adjacent cell. This will represent the next day when the formula is copied over. In the cell below the formula, use the formula “=A1+1”. Copy this formula to the cells below, and the dates will be auto-filled for the next 30 days.

Tips:

• If you need to add or subtract days from a date, use the DATE function. The syntax is “=DATE(year, month, day)”. For example, “=DATE(2022,1,20)” would return January 20, 2022.
• Excel also has multiple keyboard shortcuts that can make working with dates even easier.

Conclusion

Excel has several features that can help you auto-add dates to your spreadsheets. Whether you’re using the fill handle, series, or formulas, you’ll be able to add dates to your Excel worksheets more efficiently and without errors. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to use these tips and tricks to automate your workflow and increase your productivity in Excel.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about auto-adding dates in Excel:

Can I auto-fill dates in Excel without weekends?

Yes, you can. After you’ve filled in the initial date using the fill handle or series feature, you can select the range of dates and press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box. Select ‘Custom’ from the category list and enter the following format code: “dddd\, mmmm dd\, yyyy;@”. This will display the full date, but exclude weekends.

Can I auto-fill dates in specific intervals like skipping every third day?

Yes, you can. Use the fill handle or series feature to fill in the first two dates in the series, then select them both and drag the fill handle with the right mouse button. Release the button and select ‘Fill Series’ from the dropdown menu. In the Series dialog box, choose the ‘Auto’ option and enter the step value you want, such as three. Click ‘OK’ and the dates will be auto-filled with the specified interval.

Can I auto-fill dates in Excel if I don’t know the next date in the series?

Yes, you can. In the cell where you want to start the series, enter the first date manually. Then, select the cell and drag the fill handle to the right or down while holding the left mouse button. When you release the button, Excel will display the Auto Fill Options button. Click on it and select the ‘Fill Series’ option. Excel will guess the next dates in the series based on the first date you entered.

Can I auto-fill dates for every weekday only?

Yes, you can. After you’ve filled in the initial date using the fill handle or series feature, select the range of dates you want to change and press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box. Select ‘Custom’ from the category list and enter the following format code: “ddd\, mmm dd\, yyyy;@”. This will display the date and exclude weekends.

Can I auto-fill dates in Excel using a keyboard shortcut?

Yes, you can. If you want to enter the current date in a cell, press Ctrl+; (semi-colon). If you want to enter the current time instead, use Ctrl+Shift+; (semi-colon). To add a date a specific number of days in the future, use the formula “=TODAY()+n”, where n is the number of days you want to add. Copy the formula to the cells below, and the dates will be auto-filled for the next n days.