Typing dates one by one is slow and error-prone, whether you are building a schedule, a budget, a habit tracker or a timesheet. Google Sheets can fill dates for you automatically: by dragging, with a single formula, or with functions that skip weekends or jump by month. This guide covers each method and when to use it.
Quick answer
Type a start date in a cell, such as 1/1/2026, click the cell, then drag the small blue square in its bottom-right corner (the fill handle) down or across. Google Sheets fills the following days automatically. For a formula-based list, use =SEQUENCE(30,1,DATE(2026,1,1),1) to create 30 consecutive dates.
Method 1: Drag the fill handle
- Type your first date in a cell, for example A2. Use a format Google Sheets recognizes, such as 1/1/2026 or 2026-01-01.
- Click the cell to select it.
- Hover over the small blue square in the bottom-right corner until the cursor becomes a crosshair.
- Drag down (or across) as far as you need. Each cell gets the next day.
Tip: to fill a different pattern, type the first two dates (for example 1/1/2026 and 1/8/2026 for weekly), select both cells, and then drag. Sheets continues the pattern. If the column next to it already has data, double-click the fill handle to fill down to the last row automatically. See how to use autofill in Google Sheets for more fill tricks.
Method 2: Use the SEQUENCE function
SEQUENCE creates a whole list of dates with one formula, and it updates if you change the start date.
- Click the first cell where you want dates.
- Type =SEQUENCE(30,1,DATE(2026,1,1),1) and press Enter.
- If you see numbers like 46023, select the cells and go to Format > Number > Date.
The arguments are: number of rows (30), number of columns (1), the start date, and the step (1 day). Use a step of 7 for weekly dates. To start from a date typed in another cell, replace DATE(2026,1,1) with that cell, such as B1.
Method 3: Fill weekdays only
For work schedules that skip Saturdays and Sundays:
- Type your first weekday in A2.
- In A3, enter =WORKDAY(A2,1).
- Drag the fill handle down from A3.
WORKDAY skips weekends. To also skip holidays, list the holiday dates in a range, such as H2:H10, and use =WORKDAY(A2,1,$H$2:$H$10).
Method 4: Fill monthly dates
To get the same day each month, such as rent or billing dates:
- Type the first date in A2, for example 1/15/2026.
- In A3, enter =EDATE(A2,1).
- Drag down. Each row moves forward one month.
For the last day of each month, use =EOMONTH(A2,1) instead.
Method 5: Insert today’s date
- Static date: press Ctrl + ; (Command + ; on a Mac) to type today’s date. It will not change later.
- Dynamic date: enter =TODAY(). It always shows the current date and updates each day.
For more on both, see how to insert a date in Google Sheets.
Method 6: Add a date when another cell is filled
A common request is to show a date automatically when someone types in a row. A simple formula is =IF(B2<>””,TODAY(),””), which shows today’s date once B2 has content. Be aware that TODAY() recalculates, so the date changes every day; it is not a permanent timestamp. For a fixed timestamp, enter the date with Ctrl + ;, or use a Google Form, which records a timestamp for every response automatically.
Format your dates
Select the date cells and go to Format > Number > Custom date and time to choose formats like “Mon, Jan 5” or “2026-01-05”. If dates appear in the wrong order (day and month swapped), check File > Settings > Locale, which controls how Sheets reads typed dates.
Troubleshooting
- Dragging copies the same date: make sure the cell contains a real date, not text. If the date is left-aligned, Sheets may be treating it as text; retype it or check the locale.
- Numbers instead of dates: apply a date format.
- #REF! with SEQUENCE: the cells below must be empty so the list has room.
Once your dates are in place, see how to sort dates in Google Sheets to put them in order.
Summary
- Drag the fill handle from a start date for consecutive days.
- Use SEQUENCE for a formula-based list.
- Use WORKDAY for weekdays and EDATE for monthly dates.
- Use Ctrl + ; for a fixed date and TODAY() for a changing one.
Related: Insert a calendar in Google Sheets.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.