What is Flash Fill in Google Sheets?
Excel Flash Fill guesses a pattern from examples you type. Google Sheets Smart Fill is the closest feature: accept suggestions when cleaning or splitting data. REGEX, SPLIT, and formulas still win when you need repeatable logic.
When to use it
Use Smart Fill when Excel Flash Fill split names or formatted IDs from examples.
When to skip it
Skip pattern guessing when a documented formula should survive next month's import.
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Read post →Related terms
Smart fill
Smart Fill watches columns next to your edit and suggests completing a pattern when it recognizes one. Type a couple examples in a new column beside source data and Sheets may offer to fill the rest with names, emails split from full text, or formatted dates. It is Google's answer to flash fill for quick cleanup without formulas.
Read guide →Autofill
Autofill copies a cell or selection downward or sideways using the small blue square fill handle. Sheets detects simple series like 1,2,3 or Mon,Tue,Wed and continues the pattern. Formulas copy with relative references adjusting per row unless you locked absolute refs. Autofill is the fastest way to propagate a working formula across hundreds of rows when ARRAYFORMULA is not needed.
Read guide →text to columns
Text To Columns is a data cleanup or sheet operation in Google Sheets: trimming text, splitting columns, removing duplicates, or fixing separators. Cleanup steps usually happen before analysis formulas run.
Read guide →regex in Google Sheets
Regular expressions (regex) describe text patterns. Google Sheets exposes them through REGEXMATCH (test), REGEXEXTRACT (pull a substring), and REGEXREPLACE (swap text). They shine when TRIM and SPLIT are not enough for inconsistent labels, URLs, or log lines.
Read guide →VBA
Google Sheets automation runs through Google Apps Script (JavaScript) and recorded macros, not VBA. In Excel, VBA is the desktop language behind macros, UserForms, and many add-ins. Rebuild Excel VBA in Apps Script: triggers, custom menus, and batch range updates replace most workbook automation.
Read guide →Visual Basic
Visual Basic is the language family behind Excel VBA. Google Sheets does not run VB or VBA; the closest equivalent is Google Apps Script, which uses modern JavaScript syntax. Recorded macros in Sheets generate Apps Script you can extend, similar to how Excel's macro recorder outputs VBA.
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