Excel SEQUENCE Function

What this does

SEQUENCE produces a run of numbers as a spilled array. Because Excel stores dates as numbers, it is also the shortest way to build a date series: starting from a date and stepping by 1 gives consecutive days, which is how a calendar column or a project timeline gets built without dragging a fill handle. Its second common use is feeding other array functions — supplying the k argument to LARGE for a top-n list, or the row indices to INDEX. A step of -1 counts down. Keep the inputs visible and clearly labelled and the whole thing stays auditable — anyone who opens the file later, including you, can see at a glance exactly what feeds the result and change one assumption without hunting through the formula. Treat “excel sequence function” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected formula shows up while it is still harmless. 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. That turns a workflow that saves repeating the same clicks every week into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.

A worked example

Thirty consecutive dates from a start in A1: =SEQUENCE(30, 1, A1, 1), formatted as dates. Twelve month-start dates: =EOMONTH(A1, SEQUENCE(12, 1, -1, 1))+1. A top-five list in one formula: =LARGE(B2:B500, SEQUENCE(5)). A 4×3 grid numbered 1 to 12: =SEQUENCE(4, 3). SEQUENCE replaces the drag-to-fill for any regular series, and a series that is a formula updates when its start does. Check the referenced cells, argument order and result type in your workbook. Start with the worked example before changing an input, then compare the changed result with the calculation you expected. An error value or a result of a different type is a reason to inspect the inputs and arguments.

In Google Sheets

Function availability: SEQUENCE: Excel 2021+. These are Microsoft's version markers; earlier perpetual releases do not include these functions. Check the actual product and update channel before using the formula. A marker does not establish an identical Web/Mac workflow or Google Sheets support. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, repeat the steps once in your own workbook — doing it yourself is what turns a copied answer into something you remember. For “excel sequence function”, keep the input cells and the result visible while you check the formula in Excel. Follow the worked example and change one input at a time. The steps explain the workbook calculation; this page does not run a live calculator for that task.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to format a date sequence, which shows serial numbers.
• Generating a block larger than the empty space available, which returns #SPILL!.
• Using it in Excel 2019 or earlier, where it does not exist.

Frequently asked questions