What is Smart fill in Google Sheets?
Smart Fill in Google Sheets is a feature that helps automatically fill in values based on the pattern it recognizes in the data. This feature detects patterns and automatically gives suggestions to help automate the data to be entered. It is a very useful feature for a range of tasks, such as when you are entering some related values, extracting the first names from a fill name, and reducing manual entry.
For example, if you start typing a formula, Smart Fill can suggest how to complete it based on the existing entries. Here, we are adding the entries in Column A with the corresponding ones in Column B. As soon as the formula is entered, Google Sheets suggests the pattern to fill the entire range instead of manually dragging down the formula.

Key Takeaways
- Smart Fill in Google Sheets is a feature that helps users automatically complete any data entries based on pattern recognition in existing data.
- Here, Smart fill suggests how you can complete entries as you start typing, based on the pattern it detects.
- It is enabled by default in Google Sheets. Otherwise, go to Tools in the menu bar, click on it, and select the option “Suggestion Controls.” Now, select the option “Enable autocomplete.”
- It is used for quick data entry when using repetitive information like names, addresses, etc.
- It can also be used to standardize formats like dates across a dataset.
How to enable Smart Fill in Google Sheets?
To enable Smart fill in Google sheets, you can follow the below steps.
Step 1: Open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets. Enter your data. Now, go to Tools.

Step 2: Now, click on it and select the option “Suggestion Controls.” Select the option “Enable autocomplete.”

Step 3: Now, you have enabled Smart Fill.
In Windows, you can also press the keys Ctrl + Shift + Y
It enables the Smart fill option.
How to disable Smart fill in Google Sheets?
Step 1: Go to the Tools option and then Suggestion controls.
Step 2: Now, deselect the Enable Autocomplete option.

Examples
The Smart Fill in Google Sheets is like Excel’s Flash Fill. It detects patterns between columns, enabling auto-complete data entry. Let us look at a few interesting examples of how this can be implemented in Google Sheets.
Separating first and last names
In this interesting example, we have a few names in a Google Sheet.

We have to separate these names into first and last names in two separate columns. Traditionally, we use text manipulation functions such as Left, Mid, Right, Len, etc., but it is much easier to use Smart Fill.
Step 1: Here, we must provide Google Sheets with a clue about how the data should be structured. In Column B, to the right of the data, click the cell and type the first name. Next, type the first name of the top entry.

Step 2: Next, type the first name of the next entry in the list and the next one.
Remember, that the number of entries you may be required to type depends on the data. You may need to type 3 to 4 examples for Smart Fill to understand the strategy you want for all the cells.
Here, after the third name, Google Sheets has provided us with a list of what it finds to be the strategy that we wish to continue.

Step 3: You can check Google’s underlying formula for this assumption by clicking the Show Formula link.

Step 4: You can see the formula.

Step 5: To accept the results provided by Smart Fill, click the Green Check button. The data is separated as desired.

Change Any Text to Proper Case
In this example, let us try changing the text to the proper case, which basically means that the first letter of each word is capitalized. We will use Smart Fill in Google Sheets. Follow the steps shown below.
Step 1: Start by entering your text in column A.

Step 2: Now, to apply the proper case in the cell next to the first text, i.e., B1, type the first word in the proper case. Here, we have ‘rain coat.’ We would now type ‘Rain Coat’ in B1.

Step 3: Let’s repeat it for the next word and press Enter. After typing for two attempts, Smart Fill gives us suggestions, as shown below.
If no suggestion appears, you can also drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of the cell) down to fill the remaining cells. Smart Fill may recognize the pattern and apply the proper case to all relevant entries.

Step 4: You can select the check box in green to auto fill for the remaining entries.

If there is no Smart fill, you can use the PROPER() function to get the same result.
Extract the Company Name from an Email Address
Here is another exciting example where we extract company names from some given email addresses. Typically, extracting company or individual names from an email address involves writing complex formulas. However, with the applicable Smart fill in Google Sheets feature, we can extract the company name in a jiffy. Let us look at the steps to do so.
Step 1: Enter the email IDs in Column A.

Step 2: Now, the first email ID shows the company as Yahoo. Type the same in B1.

Step 3: Continue the same till the third or fourth option. When you reach option 3, Google Sheets shows up Smart fill.

Step 4: You can observe how it has extracted the company name for all the email IDs. Let us check the formula used. Click on “Show formula” above.

You can see the complex formula used. Now, click on the green check mark to apply the formula to all the cells.

Extract Text Before Numbers in a Alphanumeric Text
Here is another example where we extract their text before numbers. Below are some user IDs of some individuals. By enabling Smart Fill in Google Sheets, we can extract the text part without the use of any complex formulas. Let us look at the steps to do so.
Step 1: Enter the alphanumeric username IDs in Column A.

Step 2: Now, the first username is abc123. To extract the text part “abc,” type the same in B1.

Step 3: Continue the same till the third or fourth option. When you reach around the third or fourth, Google Sheets shows up Smart fill.

Step 4: You can observe how Smart fill has extracted the text for all the alphanumeric IDs.
Now, click on the green check mark to apply the formula to all the cells.

You can either click the green check mark or drag the fill handle down to fill the remaining cells, and Smart Fill will apply the proper condition to all the entries.
We hope the above Smart fill Google Sheets examples helped you understand the concept better.
Important Things to Note
- Smart Fill in Google Sheets is always ON by default for users.
- As you keep using Smart Fill, it gets better at recognizing data patterns.
- To use Smart Fill, you can press Ctrl + shift + Y after the Smart Fill formula suggestions appear
- Smart Fill can also use data from Google’s Knowledge Graph. For instance, it uses public data to autocomplete a list of continents where a list of countries is located.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Smart Fill is typically enabled by default in Google Sheets. However, there may be conditions in which it does not work. In such cases, check the following.
• Check that the Google Sheets version you are using is compatible with Smart Fill. Ensure you’re not using outdated versions or a different spreadsheet program.
• As a precaution, go to Tools > Suggestion Controls and ensure that “Enable autocomplete” is checked.
• Refreshing your browser for any updates can help if Google Sheets Smart Fill not working.
Once everything is checked correctly, Smart Fill should automatically suggest completions based on the patterns it recognizes in your data.
Smart fill in Google Sheets works well with text, numeric values, and dates. While it can work well for simpler formulas, it may have limitations with complex data or less common patterns. Smart Fill is said to work best when the patterns are sequences, like with numbers/text, formatting changes like changing all the text to capital letters, and in data extraction (such as splitting names into first and last).
• It is used to save time by reducing repetitive data entry.
• It is very user-friendly and simple to understand, making it easy for users to complete their work quickly.
• Due to auto-filling the options, it has a high level of accuracy and helps reduce human errors.
Recommended Articles
Guide to What Is Smart Fill in Google Sheets. We explain how to enable/disable Smart Fill in Google Sheets with examples. You can learn more from the following articles.
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