How to Copy Value From Every Nth Row in Excel

Why This Task Matters in Excel

In real-world spreadsheets we rarely need every single record when building dashboards, reports, or sampling data for quality checks. Analysts frequently require a systematic way to pull, say, every fifth row from a long transaction list or every tenth reading from a sensor log. Manually selecting these rows is slow, error-prone, and practically impossible once the dataset stretches into thousands or millions of records.

Imagine a marketing analyst who exports website visits every minute. The raw dump might easily exceed 1440 rows for a single day. To create a daily trend chart, she may need only one observation every hour—row 60, 120, 180, and so on. A manufacturing engineer might log machine temperature every second but keep only every hundredth row for long-term archival to save storage. Meanwhile, auditors often perform systematic sampling, extracting every twentieth invoice to check compliance. Across finance, operations, research, and IT, “copy value from every nth row” is a recurring need.

Excel excels (pun intended) at these sampling and extraction tasks because it offers multiple, flexible routes: dynamic array functions such as FILTER, traditional lookup techniques like INDEX with ROW logic, and no-code tools like Power Query. By mastering a repeatable formula or query to isolate every nth row, you can automate sampling, build real-time dashboards, or streamline large data imports into downstream models. Neglecting to learn this technique traps you in manual copy-paste loops, introduces sampling bias, and wastes countless hours—especially when the pattern needs to adjust dynamically (for example, switching from every 5th row to every 7th row on the fly). Moreover, once you understand the core logic—essentially leveraging row numbers and modular arithmetic—you unlock a foundation for other skills: alternating row formatting, periodic conditional calculations, or staggered data entry checks.

Best Excel Approach

The most universally compatible and transparent method is to combine the INDEX function with the SEQUENCE and ROWS (or COUNTA) functions in a dynamic array formula. This yields a spill range containing just the rows you need. In pre-Microsoft 365 versions, you can use a helper column with MOD or an old-style INDEX/SMALL array entered with Ctrl+Shift+Enter, but the core logic remains identical: identify row numbers that are multiples of n, then return the corresponding values.

Why is INDEX+SEQUENCE usually the best?

• It is dynamic—change n or the source range once, and the output updates instantly.
• It works equally well for vertical or horizontal data.
• It avoids volatile functions such as OFFSET, giving better performance in very large workbooks.
• It behaves like any other spill range, so charts, pivot tables, or other formulas can reference it seamlessly.

Syntax (dynamic array capable versions):

=INDEX(SourceColumn, SEQUENCE(1 + (ROWS(SourceColumn)-1)/n, 1, n, n))

Parameters

• SourceColumn – the single-column range holding the data you want, e.g. [B2:B5000]
• n – the sampling interval (every nth row)

Alternative formula for legacy Excel:

=IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$5000, SMALL(IF(MOD(ROW($B$2:$B$5000)-ROW($B$2)+1, n)=0, ROW($B$2:$B$5000)-ROW($B$2)+1), ROW(A1))), "")

Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter to create an array formula.

Parameters and Inputs

• Source range: Must be a contiguous column or row. Mixed data types are allowed, but blank rows will spill as blanks unless filtered out separately.
• n (sample interval): Positive integer greater than 0. Non-integer or negative values return #VALUE! errors. Keep n within the row count to avoid empty output.
• Header rows: If the first row is a header, decide whether to include it. You can offset the start point by adding +1 to the SEQUENCE start argument.
• Dynamic range sizing: In modern Excel, use structured references or A2:INDEX(B:B, COUNTA(B:B)) to automatically capture new rows.
• Validation: Consider a Data Validation drop-down for n so users cannot enter 0 or non-numeric text.
• Edge cases: If the row count is smaller than n, the dynamic version returns a single value or blank depending on your formula; the array version might produce #NUM! errors—wrap with IFERROR as shown.

Step-by-Step Examples

Example 1: Basic Scenario—Extract Every 3rd Row from a List

Suppose [A1:A13] contains quarterly sales: Q1 through Q13 in cells A2:A14. We want only the final month of each quarter, meaning every third row starting with A4.

1. Enter 3 in cell C1 (our n).
2. Select D2, type the formula:

=INDEX($A$2:$A$14, SEQUENCE(1 + (ROWS($A$2:$A$14)-1)/$C$1, 1, $C$1, $C$1))

3. Press Enter. Modern Excel spills the following list down column D: Q3, Q6, Q9, Q12.
4. Explanation:

• ROWS($A$2:$A$14) counts 13 data rows.
• SEQUENCE creates [3,6,9,12]—the positions we want.
• INDEX pulls the corresponding items.
  Common variation: If the list is still growing, replace the hard-coded [A2:A14] with [A2:INDEX(A:A, COUNTA(A:A))] so new quarters appear automatically.
  Troubleshooting: If nothing spills, ensure you are in a Microsoft 365 version; older editions require the Ctrl+Shift+Enter legacy approach.

Example 2: Real-World Application—Sampling Web Traffic Logs

You receive an hourly CSV export with timestamp in column A and session count in column B—one row per minute, roughly 60,000 rows per month. Management wants a daily KPIs workbook storing only one reading per hour (every 60th row) to reduce file size.

1. Import the CSV into sheet “Raw”.
2. Name [Raw!B2:B65000] as Visits.
3. On a new sheet “Sampled”, cell A2, enter the formula to sample timestamps:

=INDEX(Raw!$A$2:INDEX(Raw!$A:$A, COUNTA(Raw!$A:$A)), SEQUENCE(1 + (COUNTA(Raw!$A:$A)-1)/60, 1, 60, 60))

4. In cell B2, sample session counts similarly:

=INDEX(Visits, SEQUENCE(1 + (ROWS(Visits)-1)/60, 1, 60, 60))

5. Both formulas spill down. Because the position numbers are identical, timestamps and counts remain synchronized.
6. Next, create a line chart referencing the spill ranges only; the chart auto-updates when more data is appended.
7. Performance tip: Avoid volatile OFFSET—INDEX with INDEX-based range endpoints keeps recalculation minimal, crucial when adding new months.
8. Integration: You can wrap the spill result in a Table to feed Power Pivot models or Data Validation lists.

Example 3: Advanced Technique—Dynamic n with Power Query and Combined Filters

Scenario: A laboratory logs temperature every 10 seconds across 20 sensors in columns B through U. Scientists sometimes need every 30-second reading, other times every 2-minute reading. Rather than rewriting formulas, we will load the data to Power Query and create a parameterized sampling interval.

1. Select [A1:U100000] → Data → From Table/Range → confirm headers.
2. In Power Query, add a custom parameter named Param_n with default 6 (because 6 × 10 seconds = 60 seconds).
3. Add Index Column starting at 0.
4. Add Conditional Column: “Keep” = if Index mod Param_n equals 0 then “Y” else null.
5. Filter Keep = “Y” to retain every nth row.
6. Remove Index and Keep columns, then Close & Load to sheet “QueryOut\".
7. Users can change Param_n in the Queries & Connections pane; once refreshed, the table instantly resamples.
8. Edge case handling: Because Power Query evaluates operations server-side when connected to databases, performance scales well even at millions of rows.
9. Combining Filters: You could keep every nth row and only rows where temperature greater than 100 °C by adding another condition before filtering.
10. Professional tip: Document the parameter purpose in the query description so colleagues know how to adjust sampling.

Tips and Best Practices

1. Store n in a dedicated cell with Data Validation (whole number between 1 and 1000) so downstream formulas reference a single location.
2. Convert source data to an Excel Table; structured references make formulas like =INDEX(Table1[Sales], …) self-adjusting.
3. For dashboards, name the spill range using the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F3 (“Create from Selection”) so charts remain legible if the sampled list grows.
4. Prefer INDEX+SEQUENCE over OFFSET for non-volatile calculations; this can cut recalculation time by half in large files.
5. If you must support Excel 2010/2013, wrap legacy array formulas with IFERROR to mask #NUM! errors when the dataset shrinks.
6. Document sampling logic in a comment or cell note so future users know the data represents every nth row, preventing misinterpretation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Forgetting absolute references: Leaving the source range partially relative (A$2:A14) causes row shifts when copying the formula somewhere else. Use $A$2:$A$14 or structured references.
2. Using OFFSET inside volatile workbooks: OFFSET recalculates whenever any cell changes, potentially freezing large models. Swap it for INDEX.
3. Mixing header and data rows: Starting the count at the header leads to off-by-one errors. Either exclude the header from the range or start the SEQUENCE at n+1.
4. Setting n larger than the row count: In legacy arrays this throws #NUM!; always wrap with IFERROR(…,"") or test with IF(n>ROWS(range),"",…).
5. Copy-pasting spill results: Pasting values over the original spill range breaks the formula. Instead copy, then paste as values to a different area.

Alternative Methods

When to choose:

• Need interactive updates → INDEX+SEQUENCE or FILTER.
• File shared with legacy users → SMALL array.
• Dataset millions of rows → Power Query.
• Complex sampling logic (irregular intervals, conditional rules) → VBA or advanced Power Query.

FAQ

When should I use this approach?

Whenever you must keep a representative subset of regularly spaced records—for dashboards, trend charts, audits, or storage reduction—without losing chronological order.

Can this work across multiple sheets?

Yes. Point the INDEX or FILTER source to another sheet, e.g. Raw!$B$2:$B$5000. Power Query can also combine tables from several sheets before sampling.

What are the limitations?

Dynamic arrays require Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021+. Legacy formulas demand Ctrl+Shift+Enter and break if someone edits without understanding arrays. OFFSET is volatile. Power Query outputs static tables until refreshed.

How do I handle errors?

Wrap formulas in IFERROR to blank out #NUM! or #VALUE! messages. In Power Query, use “Keep Errors” or “Replace Errors” steps.

Does this work in older Excel versions?

Yes, but you must rely on the SMALL-based array formula or VBA. The SEQUENCE and FILTER functions are unavailable before Microsoft 365.

What about performance with large datasets?

INDEX+SEQUENCE scales to hundreds of thousands of rows with minimal lag because only the sampled rows recalculate. Avoid volatile functions. Power Query can push heavy lifting to the data engine, keeping workbook file size small.

Conclusion

Extracting every nth row is a deceptively simple yet immensely valuable technique. Whether you need to down-sample IoT sensor feeds, create audit samples, or build lightweight dashboards from heavy transaction logs, mastering this skill saves time, reduces file size, and improves analytic clarity. You now know dynamic array formulas for modern Excel, legacy array alternatives, and no-code Power Query solutions—plus tips, pitfalls, and performance tricks. Practice each method on your own data, experiment with different intervals, and integrate the spill ranges into charts or pivot tables. The next time someone hands you a hundred-thousand-row file and asks for a quick sample, you’ll deliver in seconds.