AutoCorrect for data entry

Excel 365 2016 2013 2010 2003
You can use Excel's AutoCorrect feature to create shortcuts for commonly used words or phrases.

Typing a long organization or person name takes a lot of time and often causes typing errors and inconsistencies. To resolve this issue you can introduce abbreviations and expand them through AutoCorrect feature.

To assign an abbreviation or sequence of characters to the fragment of text, follow these steps:

   1.   Click the Microsoft Office Button ms office button , and then click Excel Options.

Excel 2007 Options

   2.   In the Excel Options dialog box, on the Proofing tab, under AutoCorrect options, click the AutoCorrect Options... button:

Proofing in Excel 2007

   3.   In the AutoCorrect dialog box, under the option Replace text as you type, enter your custom entries. (E.g. name of text is "JSM" and text is "Jonathan Smith from Bank of America"):

AutoCorrect entry Excel 2007

The length of an AutoCorrect entry is limited only by the available memory. After entering or selecting an AutoCorrect entry, you must give it a unique name. Here are some guidelines for naming an AutoCorrect entry:

  • An AutoCorrect name can be as long as 31 characters.
  • Don't use a common word to name an AutoCorrect entry unless you alter that word.

For example, don't name an entry Mr. Instead, precede it with an asterisk or other character to make it unique, such as *Mr. When you don't make the word unique, Word inserts the AutoCorrect entry whenever you type that word, whether you want it to or not. It will require too much effort to revert each auto correction if you have chosen a common word.

   4.   Click Add.

Note: Excel shares your AutoCorrect list with other Office applications. Any AutoCorrect entries you created in Word will also work in Excel or Outlook.

To rename or delete an AutoCorrect entry, follow these steps:

   1.   Open the AutoCorrect dialog box.

   2.   Do one of the following:

  • To change the text of an AutoCorrect entry, select the AutoCorrect entry name in the list, change the text and then click the Replace button:
    Replace AutoCorrect in Excel 2007
  • To change the name of an AutoCorrect entry, select the AutoCorrect entry name in the list and then click Delete. Type a new name in the Replace box, and click Add.
  • To delete an AutoCorrect entry, select the entry you want to remove and click Delete.

If you don't really need this AutoCorrect in order to convert the text back to your original typing, just press Ctrl+Z to undo the change.

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