How to fill blank cells simultaneously using Find & Select in Excel

by | Feb 15, 2021 | Excel Tips & Tricks

How to fill blank cells simultaneously in Excel

In this guide, we're going to show you how to fill blank cells simultaneously in Excel.

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How to locate blank cells

  1. Begin by selecting your data, including the blank cells
  2. Open the Go To Special dialog by following Home > Find & Select > Go To Special in the ribbon
  3. Select the Blanks option
  4. Click OK to apply your selection
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After you click the OK button you will see that only the blank cells are selected.
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If you come across a blank cell which is not selected after using the method below, this means the cell includes either a formula which is returning empty string (“”) or a nonprintable characters such as new line.

Populating multiple cells simultaneously

Once the blank cells are selected, do not click anywhere and type anything you want. You will see what you are typing in the first cell. After you are done with entering your data, press the Ctrl + Enter keys in your keyboard to fill blank cells simultaneously - not only the Enter key.

How to fill blank cells simultaneously in Excel

If you would like to apply formatting, do it right away before deselecting cells. You may want to use the Home tab in the Ribbon instead of right-clicking to avoid clicking on the wrong cell.

If you deselect after typing, you can either use Ctrl + Z to undo the process or check the How to remove all rows containing specific value in Excel article to select the cells containing a specific value.