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How to Turn Excel's Cell AutoComplete On or Off

Excel's AutoComplete suggests a matching entry from earlier in the same column while typing, which can save time or cause a mistaken entry depending on the data.

  1. Go to File → Options

    Click the File tab, then Options.

  2. Click the Advanced tab

    Select Advanced from the menu on the left.

  3. Find "Enable AutoComplete for cell values"

    Locate the checkbox under the Editing options section.

  4. Check or uncheck it

    Uncheck it to turn AutoComplete off, or check it to turn it back on.

When AutoComplete helps

For a column of repeated text values, like category names or status labels, AutoComplete can save real typing time by predicting the rest of an entry after just the first few letters.

When it is worth turning off

AutoComplete can also silently accept a suggestion that looks similar to, but is not, the value someone meant to type — a risk that grows with longer lists of similar-looking text, which is why some spreadsheets with strict data-entry needs turn it off entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off AutoComplete affect Excel's other suggestion features, like Flash Fill?

No, "Enable AutoComplete for cell values" only controls the inline suggestion that appears while typing text in a cell. Flash Fill and other data tools are separate features controlled independently.

Is this setting saved per workbook or for the whole application?

It is an application-wide Excel setting, not tied to a specific workbook, so toggling it changes the behavior for every spreadsheet opened in that copy of Excel.