How do I fill blank cells with the value above in Excel?

Select the column, press F5 > Special > Blanks to select just the empty cells, type = then the Up arrow, and press Ctrl+Enter to fill them all with the cell above. Paste as values to freeze it. Tellsheet's Fill Blanks does the whole thing in one click.

Why do I need to fill blanks down?

Exports and grouped reports often show a category label only on its first row, leaving the rest blank. That breaks sorting, filtering, and PivotTables, which need a value in every row. Filling the blanks down repairs the table.

How do I fill blanks without a formula?

The Go To Special method leaves formulas you should convert to values. Tellsheet's Fill Blanks writes the values directly, with a preview first and no leftover formulas.

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How to Fill Blank Cells with the Value Above in Excel

Grouped exports love to print a category once and leave the rest of the group blank — which then breaks every sort, filter, and PivotTable. Here's the classic fix, and a one-click one.

Last updated: August 2026

Before		After
West	→	West
(blank)	→	West
East	→	East
(blank)	→	East

Method — Go To Special > Blanks

Select the column. Press F5 (or Ctrl+G) > Special > Blanks > OK — only the empty cells are selected.
Type =, then press the Up arrow (the active cell now points at the one above).
Press Ctrl+Enter to fill every selected blank at once.
Copy the column and Paste Special > Values so you're left with values, not formulas.

Reliable, but four fiddly steps — and easy to misfire if the wrong cells are selected.

The 1-click way — Tellsheet

Fill Blanks fills each blank cell with the value above it in the same column — the whole Go-To-Special dance in one click, as real values with no leftover formulas. Previews before it applies and is revertable. Pairs with Unmerge & Fill Down (for blanks left by merged cells) and Delete Blanks.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fill blanks with the value above?

F5 > Special > Blanks, type = then Up arrow, Ctrl+Enter, paste as values — or Tellsheet's Fill Blanks in one click.

Why fill blanks down at all?

PivotTables, sorting, and filtering need a value in every row. Labels shown once per group leave gaps that break them.

How do I avoid leftover formulas?

Paste Special > Values after the trick, or use Fill Blanks, which writes values directly.

What if the blanks come from merged cells?

Use Unmerge & Fill Down instead — it splits the merges and fills the freed cells in one step.

Related Excel guides

Fill blanks down in one click

Fill Blanks repeats each category into the empty cells below it — real values, right inside Excel.

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