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how to make a drop down menu in excel

by Leatha Fay Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Create a drop-down list
  1. Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.
  2. On the ribbon, click DATA > Data Validation.
  3. In the dialog, set Allow to List.
  4. 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.

Full Answer

How do I create a drop down menu?

Steps:

  • Click the name of your main menu.
  • Choose one of the menu items to be the header for your drop-down menu, or add a new menu item to be the header. ...
  • Add menu items to include in the new drop-down menu. ...
  • Click and drag the menu items to nest below the header item.
  • Click Save menu.

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.

More items...

How to create drop down buttons in Excel?

Now let’s see how to get the Grade to the drop-down list as follows:

  • Go to the Data tab.
  • Select the data validation option.
  • You will get the dialogue box which will show validation criteria.
  • Choose the List option from the drop-down list.
  • Place the cell in the G column as shown below in the screenshot to get the drop-down list menu.
  • Select the database column from C2:C8.
  • Click ok.

How to make responsive drop down menu?

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How do I create a drop-down list in Excel without list?

#2 By Entering Data ManuallySelect a cell where you want to create the drop down list (cell C2 in this example).Go to Data –> Data Tools –> Data Validation.In the Data Validation dialogue box, within the Settings tab, select List as the Validation criteria. ... In the source field, enter Yes, No. ... Click OK.

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 to edit a drop down in Excel?

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.

How to type drop down list?

When typing the list of items for your drop-down list, type them in the order in which you want them to appear in the drop-down menu. For example, you can type your entries in alphabetical order to make it easier for users to find certain items or values.

What is in cell dropdown?

In-cell dropdown option. When this option is checked, you will create a drop-down list in the selected cell on your spreadsheet.

What is the Show input message option?

Show input message... option. This option allows you to display a tiny pop-up message when the drop-down is selected.

Can you leave empty fields in Excel?

You can leave these fields empty. In this case, the error title and message will default to Microsoft Excel's generic error template.

How to Create a Drop-Down List in Excel?

Click on the data menu and choose the data validation menu as shown below.

Can you create a template in Excel?

We can easily create a professional template by using the Drop Down List in Excel, mainly used for the data validation part.

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.

How to create a table in Excel?

Select the data range you just entered (including the heading), and create an Excel Table by going to Insert > Table from the Excel Ribbon, or by using the shortcut Ctrl + T. Click OK when the dialog box appears.

What is method 3 in Excel?

Method #3 requires you to create an Excel Table, but is perfect for creating a foolproof drop down Excel menu that can handle anything you throw at it.

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 .

Where is the data validation menu in Excel?

The Data Validation menu is in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon:

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 a drop down menu?

A drop down list is actually a tiny window from where you can peek into some other data you have constructed. This also gives you the possibility of controlling exactly what can be entered into a cell. This makes the drop-down menu a very common and powerful data validation tool.

How long does it take to create a drop down menu?

With some practice, you can almost create these drop-downs instantly. I’ve managed to create one in a mere 15 seconds.

Is it easy to create a drop down menu?

Luckily, creating a drop-down menu is super easy if you know the exact steps.

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 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.

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.

What is indirect function in Excel?

Explanation: the INDIRECT function in Excel converts a text string into a valid reference.

Can you store items in an Excel table?

You can also store your items in an Excel table to create a dynamic drop-down list.

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.

What happens if you remove a drop down list?

If there was an option selected when you removed the drop-down list, the cell is populated with the value of that option.

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.

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What The Excel Drop Down Menu Looks Like

  1. 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.
  2. 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…
See all 11 steps on www.wikihow.com

Introducing The Data Validation Menu

Process

Benefits

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Here’s an example of what you might want to set up in your Excel workbook: The company you work at might have a Finance or HR form which looks similar to the above. These kinds of forms need to be filled out in a certain way, so it’s helpful to limit values so that Bob in Accounts knows exactly which budget line to allocate t…
See more on excelefficiency.com

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…
See more on excelefficiency.com

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...
See more on excelefficiency.com

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