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Fill blank cells with value above / below in Excel (Full guide)

Author: Xiaoyang Last Modified: 2025-04-09
A screenshot of a dataset with blank cells ready to be filled in Excel

When setting up data in Excel, it is common to leave a blank cell when its data is the same as the cell above. This makes the table look neater and more aesthetically pleasing, but it can also cause some problems, such as being unable to use Excel's SUBTOTAL or Pivot Table features. In this case, we need to fill the blank cells. Here are some tricks to fill blank cells with the value above in Excel.


Fill blank cells with the value from above or below using a formula

With this method, please do as the following steps:

1. Select the range that contains blank cells you need to fill.

2. Click "Home" > "Find & Select" > "Go To Special…", and a "Go To Special" dialog box will appear. Check the "Blanks" option. See screenshot:

3. Click "OK", and all of the blank cells have been selected. Then input the equal sign "=" into the active cell A3 without changing the selection. Point to the cell above or below with the up or down arrow key or just click on it. See screenshot:

4. Press "Ctrl" + "Enter", Excel will copy the respective formula to all blank cells.

A screenshot showing blank cells filled with formula results in Excel

5. At this point, the filled contents are formulas, and we need to convert the formals to values. Then select the whole range, copy it, and then press "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "V" to active the "Paste Special…" dialog box. Then select "Values" option from "Paste", and select "None" option from "Operation". See screenshot:

A screenshot of the Paste Special dialog box in Excel for converting formulas to values

6. Then click "OK". And all of the formulas have been converted to values.


Fill blank cells with the value from above or below using Kutools for Excel

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After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Select the range that you want to fill the blank cells. And click "Kutools" > "Insert" > "Fill Blank Cells". See screenshot:

2. In the "Fill Blank Cells" dialog box, Click "Based on values" from the "Fill with" section, and check "Down" from the "Options" section.

3. Then click "OK" or "Apply". And all of the blank cells have been filled with the value above.

A screenshot showing blank cells before using the Kutools Fill Blank Cells tool Arrow A screenshot showing blank cells filled with values using Kutools

By using the above methods, you can easily fill blank cells in Excel with the value above. This not only makes the data more organized but also ensures that you can use Excel's advanced features such as SUBTOTAL and Pivot Tables. Choose the method that best suits your needs and apply it flexibly to improve data processing efficiency and accuracy. If you're interested in exploring more Excel tips and tricks, our website offers thousands of tutorials.


Fill blank cells with value above / linear values / specific value

 
Kutools for Excel: Over 300 handy tools at your fingertips! Enjoy permanently free AI features! Download Now!

Related articles:

How to fill blank cells with linear values in Excel?

How to fill blank cells with 0 or other specific value in Excel?


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