20-second tipWrite a formula once, then copy it down. References like B2 are relative: copied one row down, they become B3.
Ways to fill: drag the small blue square at the corner of the selection, double-click it, or select the range and press Ctrl+D.
Fill down & relative references in Google Sheets
You rarely type the same formula twice. Write it once in the first row, then fill it down. Google Sheets adjusts relative references as it copies: =B2*C2 in row 2 becomes =B3*C3 in row 3, and so on.
There are three quick ways to fill: drag the small blue square in the corner of the selected cell (the fill handle), double-click that square to fill down to the end of the neighbouring data, or select the range and press Ctrl+D (Cmd+D on Mac).
Syntax
=B2*C2 → filled down to D6
Example
=B2*C2
Written in D2 and filled down, each row multiplies its own price and quantity.
Common mistakes
- Copying the result value instead of the formula.
- Filling past the end of the data and leaving zeros below.
- Expecting a reference to stay fixed when it should be absolute (see the next lesson).
← Math operators · Absolute references ($) → · All lessons