How to Use the Automatic Data Type Tool in Microsoft Excel

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Add details to your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for cities, food, song, plants and more. With the data type tool, no need to open your web browser. Just type a keyword and voila!!

When Microsoft implemented its datatype tool in Excel, we show you how easy it is to use. You can collect geographic data or add stock details to your sheets without searching the internet. But the tool transcends its early stages from a few data types to more than a dozen now., including an automatic data detector.

Regarding data types in Excel

Once you add data to your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, can convert words or phrases to data types. Those data types give you details of the web that you can also add to your sheet.

As an example, you can type the word “bacon” in your spreadsheet and convert that word into a food data type. After, with one click, you can insert the nutritional details of the bacon into the adjoining cells.

You can also use the automatic data type. This all-encompassing option detects the data type and applies it automatically. This is ideal if your spreadsheet covers a range of different types.. In this tutorial, we will go into detail about how to use the automatic data type.

Have access to data types

If you are a Microsoft subscriber 365, must have data type function in excel. Head to the Data tab and find the Data Types section on the ribbon.

Data types on the Excel ribbon

Use the top two arrows to scroll through the data types one pair at a time or the bottom arrow to see them all in one place.

All data types in Excel

Apply automatic data type

With any type of data, you must first have data in your sheet. Since we are using the automatic data type, we will use different words and phrases that will cover a range of data types. This is truly the best use of the automatic tool, as well as the ideal way to show your power.

Select the cells that contain the data you want to convert to data types. Go to the Data Types section of the ribbon as described above and choose “Automatic”.

Select Automatic for the data type

In some seconds, you will see that the data types are applied to your cells as indicated by the icons. As an example, the animal data type will show a footprint icon and the food data type will show an apple icon.

Automatic data type applied

If the tool displays a question mark next to the data (as in the screenshot above), that means you are not sure what kind of data to use. Regularly, that's because it fits in more than one. As an example, Did you know that “bacon” it is not only food but also the name of a city?

Select the cell in question and the Data Selector sidebar will open on the right. Next, you can simply go through the list of alternatives and click on “Choose” for the one you want. If you don't see what you are looking for, you can also use the search box in the sidebar.

Select the correct data in the sidebar

Next, the correct data type will be applied to the cell. You can do this for any data cell with question marks.

Add data details

Once you have applied the data types to the cells you want, it's time to put them to work. Click on a cell to start and a small icon will appear.

Click the Insert Data icon and you will see a scrollable list of information. After, you can select items from the list and the details will fill the cells on the right. You can include as much or as little information as you like.

Choose data details from the list

You will find a lot of details. Find a species for the animal data type, a body location for the anatomy data type, a production budget for the movie data type, and much more!

The details you insert do not include references such as tags or headings. And if you have a lot of data and data types, your sheet can fill up quickly. Just click on the cell that contains the information you added and you will see the details in the formula bar.

Details of the data in the formula bar

Just make sure you are connected to the internet when applying or updating data.

Update data details

As mentioned previously, the data type tool in Excel gets its information from the internet. And many details change over time, sometimes even within the same day. To ensure that you always have the most up-to-date information, can update it.

Go to the Data tab and click “Update all” in the Queries and Connections section of the ribbon. You will see that your cells containing data types show an update symbol briefly as the data is updated.

Click Update All

If you only want to update one item, select the cell and click the arrow below “Update all”. Choose “To update”.

Select Update for an item

The next time you need to get data details for items in your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, try the datatype tool. You can save time on manual search and update the data as much as you like!!

RELATED: How to use the built-in geography function in Microsoft Excel

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