how to make drop down menu in excel

by Lesly Halvorson IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Create a drop-down list

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.

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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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.

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How to Create a Drop-Down List in Excel?

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

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.

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.

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