[Solution] How to Create a Drop down Menu in Excel
- In your Excel workbook, select the cells that you want to apply the drop down menu to.
- Click on the Data Validation menu (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V.
- In the "Allow:" dropdown menu, select "List".
- In the "Source:" box, enter in your values separated by commas.
- Click OK to save the Data Validation options. ...
- Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.
- On the ribbon, click DATA > Data Validation.
- In the dialog, set Allow to List.
- Click in Source, type the text or numbers (separated by commas, for a comma-delimited list) that you want in your drop-down list, and click OK.
How do you make a drop down menu in Excel?
How to Create a Drop-Down List in Excel: Introducing the “1 Minute Drop–Down“
- Go to the “Data” tab. This step is easy! ...
- Click “Data Validation”. Now click the button “Data validation” in the middle of the ribbon ( do not click the little arrow – simply click the top part ...
- Choose the “List”. ...
- Select the source. ...
- Here’s the end result! ...
How do you create a drop down table in Excel?
Here’s the quickest way to set up a drop down menu in Excel:
- In your Excel workbook, select the cells that you want to apply the drop down menu to.
- Click on the Data Validation menu (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V.
- In the “Allow:” dropdown menu, select “List”.
- In the “Source:” box, enter in your values separated by commas.
How to create dropdown menu in Excel?
- Step I: This is your excel sheet. ...
- Step II: Select Data- Data Validation from the option given below.
- Step III: Then select List.
- Step IV: In the source, you have to enter the values that you want to put in the dropdown list, pressing the change arrow as you can see in the ...
- Step V: Here is the list just by clicking OK.
How to quickly create dynamic drop down list in Excel?
Now we create the dynamic drop down list in cell D9, follow the steps given below :-
- Select the cell D9
- Open Data Validation dialog box , by pressing the key ALT+D+L
- In Allow drop down list, select List
- And then enter this function =INDIRECT (“Table1”) in source tab
How do I create a drop-down list in Excel with multiple selections?
How to Make Multiple Selections in an Excel Drop-Down ListStep 1: Create a List of Values and Name It. In the video I create a list of values that I wanted to appear in the drop-down list on a separate worksheet. ... Step 2: Create the Drop-down List Using Data Validation. ... STEP3: Add the VBA Code to Your Drop-Down List.
How do you create a drop-down list in Excel and edit it?
Edit a drop-down list with items that have been entered manuallyOn the worksheet where you applied the drop-down list, select a cell that has the drop-down list.Go to Data > Data Validation.On the Settings tab, click in the Source box, and then change your list items as needed.More items...
How do you insert a selection box in Excel?
Open an Excel workbook.Choose a cell to house your drop-down menu.Navigate to the Data tab at the top of the screen. It's nestled between Formulas and Review atop the Ribbon.Click the Data Validation button.Highlight the cells you want to include in the selection options of your drop-down menu, and click OK.
How do I create a list in one cell in Excel?
About This ArticleDouble-click the cell.Press Alt + 7 or Option + 8 to add a bullet point.Type a list item.Press Alt + Enter (PC) or Control + Option + Return (Mac) to go to the next line.Repeat until your list is finished.
Community Q&A
How can I add a drop down list, but not show all of the items in each row?
Tips
After you finish creating your drop-down list, open the drop-down list to make sure all the items you entered display properly. In some cases, you may need to widen the cell in order to display all your items fully.
Warnings
You will not be able to access the "Data Validation" menu if your worksheet is protected or shared. In this case, make sure to remove the protection or unshare the document, and then try to access the Data Validation menu again.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.
How to Create a Drop-Down List in Excel?
Click on the data menu and choose the data validation menu as shown below.
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This has been a guide to Drop Down List in Excel. Here we discuss creating a Drop Down List in Excel and practical examples and a downloadable excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles –
Create a drop-down list using existing data
If you want to create and insert a drop-down list using data already entered in the spreadsheet, follow the steps below.
Create a drop-down list by defining the list of values
If you want to create and insert a drop-down list, and define the list of values to display, follow the steps below.
How to add drop down menu in Excel?
Here’s the quickest way to set up a drop down menu in Excel: In your Excel workbook, select the cells that you want to apply the drop down menu to. Click on the Data Validation menu (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V. In the “Allow:” dropdown menu, select “List”. In the “Source:” box, enter in your values separated ...
What does "drop down menu" mean in Excel?
It means you can simply refer to a column within an Excel table, and the menu will automatically update based on the items in that list. If you anticipate adding extra items to your drop down menu over time, then this method is the best long-term solution as it’s the “cleanest” way to refer to your list of menu items.
What if you want to update your menu items later?
What if you want to update your menu items later? If one of the departments in your company has a name change, then you would have to select all of the cells that use the drop down menu, and manually update the details .
Which is better: drop down list or drop down menu?
Drop down list method #1 is the quickest way, but not very good for long-term Excel files. Method #2 is a little more stable and allows you to consistently edit the drop down menu items without breaking anything. Method #3 requires you to create an Excel Table, but is perfect for creating a foolproof drop down Excel menu ...
What is the benefit of using tables in Excel?
That name can be referred to throughout your work. And a huge benefit of tables is that they will automatically expand when extra data is added to them.
How to use list in Excel?
Select the cells that you want to use the list, and go to the Data Validation option (in the Data tab). In the Settings screen, select List from the “Allow:” box. In the “Source:” box, select the range of cells that contain your list.
Can you allow blank values in Excel?
Depending on your requirements, you can allow blank values, and you can choose to hide the in-cell dropdown menu. (optional) Use the options in the Input Message tab if you want a message to appear when the cell is selected.
How to create a drop down list in Excel?
To create a drop-down list in Excel, execute the following steps. 1. On the second sheet, type the items you want to appear in the drop-down list. Note: if you don't want users to access the items on Sheet2, you can hide Sheet2. To achieve this, right click on the sheet tab of Sheet2 and click on Hide.
How to add a drop down list to the end of a list?
You can also use a formula that updates your drop-down list automatically when you add an item to the end of the list. 1. On the first sheet, select cell B1. 2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation. The 'Data Validation' dialog box appears. 3.
How to create dependent drop down list?
For example, if the user selects Pizza from a first drop-down list. 2. A second drop-down list contains the Pizza items. 3. But if the user selects Chinese from the first drop-down list, the second drop-down list contains the Chinese dishes.
How to allow other entries in Excel?
Allow Other Entries. You can also create a drop-down list in Excel that allows other entries. 1. First, if you type a value that is not in the list, Excel shows an error alert. To allow other entries, execute the following steps. 2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.
Limit the data that can be entered in a cell
Former Lifewire writer Ted French is a Microsoft Certified Professional who teaches and writes about spreadsheets and spreadsheet programs.
Create a Drop-Down List
The data added to a drop-down list can be located on either the same worksheet as the list, on a different worksheet in the same workbook, or in a completely different Excel workbook. In this tutorial, we're using a list of cookie types. To follow along, enter the data in columns D and E shown in the image below.
Remove a Drop-Down List in Excel
When you're finished with a drop-down list, remove it from a worksheet cell using the data validation dialog box.
How to add drop down list in Excel?
Drop-down lists make it easier and more efficient to enter data into your spreadsheets. Simply click the arrow and select an option. You can add drop-down lists to cells in Excel containing options such as Yes and No, Male and Female, or any other custom list of options.
Where is the down arrow button in Excel?
When the cell containing the drop-down list is selected, you’ll see a down arrow button to the right of the cell. If you added an input message, it displays below the cell. The down arrow button only displays when the cell is selected. Click the down arrow button to drop down the list of options and select one.
What does "ignore blank" mean in Excel?
The “Ignore blank” check box is checked by default. This means that the user can select the cell and then deselect the cell without selecting an item. If you want to require the user to select an option from the drop-down list, uncheck the Ignore blank check box.
Can you have multiple drop down lists in Excel?
If you have many drop-down lists you need to add on a worksheet, you may want to put the lists of options on another worksheet in the same workbook. You can hide the worksheet containing your lists of options to prevent them from being changed.
How to create a named range in Excel?
To create a named range, select the cells that will be on the list, and name the selection. Here's how:
How to type cookie type in Excel?
Open Sheet1 and type Cookie Type: into cell D1. Open Sheet2. In cells A1 through A4, type: Gingerbread, Lemon, Oatmeal Raisin, and Chocolate Chip. Format these cells however you wish. It won't interfere with the functionality of the drop-down list.
5 Examples of Excel Drop Down List from Table
To create a drop-down list from a table we can use the validation option. This is one of the easiest methods to create a drop-down. We will use validation in the following three ways:
Things to Remember
1. The drop-down list is lost if you copy a cell (that does not contain a drop-down list) over a cell that contains a drop-down list.
Conclusion
In this article, we have tried to cover all the possible methods to create excel drop-down lists from tables. Download the practice workbook added with this article and do practice yourself. If you feel any kind of confusion just comment in the below box.
What The Excel Drop Down Menu Looks Like
- Open the Excel spreadsheet file you want to edit. You can find and double-click a saved Excel file on your computer, or open Microsoft Excel and create a new worksheet.
- Enter the list of values for your drop-down in a column. Make sure to enter each drop-down entry in a separate, consecutive cell in the same column. For example, if you want your drop-down list to include "New York," "Boston," and "Los Angeles," you can type "New York" in cell A…
Introducing The Data Validation Menu
Process
Benefits
What’s The Solution?
- You can’t create a drop down list in Excel without using the Data Validation feature. Think of Data Validation is a restriction or limitation that Excel applies to the cells you specify. You can choose the criteria, of course. You can force cells to be integers, dates, or values from a specific list (which is what you’ll be using for creating these menus) and a few other options. The Data V…
Even More Benefits!
- Here’s the quickest way to set up a drop down menu in Excel: 1. In your Excel workbook, select the cells that you want to apply the drop down menu to. 2. Click on the Data Validation menu (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V. 3. In the “Allow:” dropdown menu, select “List”. 4. In the “Source:” box, enter in your valu...