In Excel: multiply two cells with =A2*B2, multiply a range with =PRODUCT(A2:A10), and copy the formula down when each row needs its own result.
Click the result cell.
Type =, select the first value, type *, then select the second value.
Press Enter and format the result if it represents currency or units.
Drag or double-click the fill handle to copy the multiplication formula down a table.
What this does
Excel uses the asterisk (*) as the multiplication operator. For one row, multiply cell references directly; for many values in one formula, PRODUCT multiplies every number in a range. Because cell references adjust as you copy down, a single row formula can calculate quantity times price for an entire table. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “multiply multiple cells in excel”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected cells visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
Quantity is in A2 and unit price is in B2. Enter =A2*B2 in C2: 12 units at 4.50 returns 54.00. Fill the formula down and row 3 becomes =A3*B3 automatically. If A2:A5 holds 2, 3, 4 and 5, =PRODUCT(A2:A5) returns 120. Multiplication is the backbone of pricing sheets, inventory totals, unit conversions, weighted scores and any model where a count has to be scaled by a rate, price, percentage or factor. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top, the tool proves it, and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. Treat “multiply multiple cells in excel” as a small building block rather than a chore. Once the inputs sit in their own cells and the formula reads from them, the same setup answers a dozen related questions with a tweak, and Excel keeps every dependent figure current as the data changes. The tool above is there so you can rehearse and verify before committing anything to a real workbook; the steps and worked example are there so the logic sticks. Get it right once and it stops costing you time — it starts saving it, every time the question comes back around.
Common mistakes
- Using x instead of *; Excel treats x as text or a name, not multiplication.
- Forgetting parentheses when multiplying part of a larger expression, such as
=(A2+B2)*C2. - Copying a formula with fixed references accidentally; use $ only when one multiplier should stay constant.
- Multiplying numbers stored as text, which can return errors or unexpected zeros until the data is converted.
Frequently asked questions
What symbol multiplies in Excel?
Use the asterisk: =A2*B2.
How do I multiply a whole column by one number?
Put the multiplier in one cell, use an absolute reference like =A2*$E$1, then fill down.
When should I use PRODUCT?
Use PRODUCT when one formula needs to multiply many cells or a whole range, such as =PRODUCT(A2:A10).
Other ways people ask this
On the way here you may have searched this as “how do you multiply multiple cells in excel” and “multiply multiple cells in excel” — it is all the same task, and this page is the single, complete answer to it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “how do you multiply multiple cells in excel”, “multiply multiple cells in excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.