Would you like to create a sequence of dates in every nth row in Excel using a dynamic array formula? This tutorial will guide you through the process.
When Is This Useful?
Imagine you have seven employees who work every day, and you want to insert a date sequence in column A, populating every seventh row with a date while leaving blank rows in between. This setup allows you to record daily attendance, start and end times, and other details for each employee in the adjacent columns.
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In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to create a date sequence that appears at every nth row in Excel and include a bonus formula to automatically fill employee names alongside each date.
How to Create a Sequence of Dates at Every Nth Row in Excel
To create a sequence of dates that appears at every 7th row in column A, starting from row 2, use the following formula in cell A2:
=LET(
dt, SEQUENCE(ROWS(A1:A2555), 1, "2025-1-1", 1/7),
IF(MOD(ROW(A1:A2555), 7)=1, CEILING(dt, 1),"")
)
Apply Date Formatting: After entering the formula, select column A, go to the Home tab, and select Short Date under the Number group. This will format the results as dates.
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This formula generates a year-long calendar starting from January 1, 2025, with each date appearing at every 7th row. The reference A1:A2555
is used because 2555
is a multiple of 365 days and 7 rows, covering all rows for one year.
Can I use this formula starting in any row without modifying ranges?
Yes, you can!
Customizing the Date Sequence Interval Between Dates
If you want a different interval, such as a date every 5 rows, adjust the formula as follows:
- Replace
1/7
with1/5
to specify the increment. - Update
MOD(ROW(A1:A2555), 7)
toMOD(ROW(A1:A1825), 5)
for the 5-row interval. Here, 1825 represents the total number of rows needed for a full year’s worth of dates, with each date appearing every 5th row (5 * 365 = 1825)
The revised formula for a 5-row interval would look like this:
=LET(
dt, SEQUENCE(ROWS(A1:A1825), 1, "2025-1-1", 1/5),
IF(MOD(ROW(A1:A1825), 5)=1, CEILING(dt, 1),"")
)
Formula Breakdown
SEQUENCE(ROWS(A1:A2555), 1, "2025-01-01", 1/7)
: Creates a sequence of dates (date values) starting from “2025-01-01”, incrementing by 1/7 for each cell in the range. This sequence is nameddt
in the formula using LET.IF(MOD(ROW(A1:A2555), 7)=1, CEILING(dt, 1), "")
: This part of the formula returns the date in every 7th row and leaves the other rows blank.MOD(ROW(A1:A2555), 7)=1
: Returns TRUE only at every 7th row, allowing the date to appear there.CEILING(dt, 1)
: Rounds up the date to ensure it displays as a full date.
The IF function keeps dates in every 7th row, leaving other cells as blank text (“”).
Additional Tip: Automatically Fill Employee Names in Column B
If you’d like to fill in employee names next to each date in column B, enter the following formula in cell B2:
=LET(
week, IF(LEN(A2#), {"Name 1", "Name 2", "Name 3", "Name 4", "Name 5", "Name 6", "Name 7"},""),
ftr, FILTER(week,CHOOSECOLS(week,1)<>""),
TOCOL(ftr)
)
This will fill B2:B8 with 7 employee names for the date in A2, B9:B15 for the next date, and so on.
How Does This Formula Work?
IF(LEN(A2#), {"Name 1", "Name 2", "Name 3", "Name 4", "Name 5", "Name 6", "Name 7"}, "")
: Checks for a date in the corresponding cell in column A. If a date is found, it assigns the array of employee names next to that date; otherwise, it leaves the cell blank.FILTER(week, CHOOSECOLS(week, 1) <> "")
: Filters out any empty cells, ensuring that only the names for rows with dates are included.TOCOL(ftr)
: Converts the filtered array into a column format, distributing names vertically next to each date.
This setup provides a clear and organized structure to track daily attendance, start and end times, or other details for each employee.
This tutorial shows you a dynamic way to generate a date sequence with specific row intervals in Excel. With this setup, you can automate filling employee names for each date, making it easy to track attendance and other information.
Resources
- Creating Custom Descending Sequence Lists in Excel
- Insert a Blank Row After Each Category Change in Excel
- Creating Sequential Dates in Equally Merged Cells in Google Sheets
- How to Populate Sequential Dates Excluding Weekends in Google Sheets
- Auto-Fill Sequential Dates When Value Entered in Next Column in Google Sheets
- Adding N Blank Rows to SEQUENCE Results in Google Sheets