How to Create a Custom AutoFill List in Excel 2013

In this blog post, we will learn about “how to create a custom auto fill list in Excel 2013”.

What is a Custom AutoFill List?

Suppose that we want to write a month’s names from January to December. So, for that, we type “January” only and drag down till December. All the names drag automatically.

Try this, it works.

See the below image:-

Just put the cursor at the right corner and drag it until the last month name December.

Same way, we can create a list of weekdays by typing “Sunday” or “Monday” as the first day of the week in a cell. Drag it to the down or right side, rest days name will fill automatically.

But this do not happen every time because these are names pre-install in Excel by default.

If there are a few names that we can write manually then it is ok, but if there is a huge list and need to use it many times, then what?. It is difficult to write all the names many times, so better to create a custom list and use it as many times as you want.

How to create a Custom AutoFill List

Custom AutoFill List

So better to create a desired name list as per our need, which will automatically drag down.

After creating a custom list, you just need to type any single name from list and drag it till the end of the desired number of people. The whole list will drag automatically fill till you drag down.

Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to create a custom list in Excel.

First, create or have a list of all the names we require for our dataset.

In the Excel 2013 version, I am writing this article, but I hope the rest of the version has the same procedure.

First, go to the File menu at the top of the Excel File. See images below:-

Then choose the Options button from the list. See image below:-

Then a new window opens up. Click on the “Advanced” option in this window.

Custom AutoFill List Steps

Scroll down until you get the “Edit Custom Lists” button. Once we click on “Edit Custom List,”, the following image will appear.

Custom AutoFill List Next Step

There are two methods to create a custom auto fill list.

First Method to Create a Custom AutoFill List

First Step: – Select or click the new list

Second Step: – Type all the names from your desire list within the “List entries” box, see the image below.

Third Step: – After typing the name, click on the “Add” button to add the desired names in your custom list.

Fourth Step: – You can see all your desired list names appear in the custom list box.

This is the first method for creating our custom list in Excel. But the use of this method is very limited because every time we cannot type names manually. Sometimes there is a huge list, so not possible to type again and again.

Second Method to Create A Custom AutoFill List

There is another and a suggested method to create our custom list.

First Step:- First, prepare or create a list of all the desired names in Excel within a sheet.

Second Step 2:- Put your cursor on a point no “2” (Import list from cells) and go to the place where your whole list exists. Put the cursor on the first cell and drag it until the end.

Once drag the full list, leave the cursor and your whole list range will appear in this box.

Third Step:- Click on the “import” button and see that all names from the list appear in the “list entries box” and, all the list names added under the “Custom list” box.

Press the “OK” button and that’s it.