Add a drop down list in excel update#

It should seemВ fairly obviousВ why itвЂ™sВ helpful to refer to a data range instead of theВ original values.

(optional) In the Error Alert tab, enter an error message for whenever anВ incorrect value is selected.

(optional)В Use the options in the Input Message tabВ if you want a message to appear when the cell is selected.

Depending on your requirements,В you can allow blank values, and you canВ choose to hide the in-cell dropdown menu.

In the вЂњSource:вЂќ box, selectВ theВ range of cells that contain your list.

In the Settings screen, select List from the вЂњAllow:вЂќ box.

Select the cells that you want toВ use the list, and go to theВ Data ValidationВ option (in the Data tab).

If you donвЂ™t want people to edit the list, you canВ hide this sheet later.

Create the listВ of valuesВ you want to select from somewhere in your Excel workbook.

If you want to add extraВ items to the list, you will need to updateВ the Data Validation list formula to cover the new cells.

Slightly more time-consuming than entering the values into the Data Validation options.

Add a drop down list in excel update#

You can update valuesВ easily and the menu will alwaysВ refer to the new names.

This alternate method involves entering the data somewhere else in your Excel workbook, and referring to that data range in the Data Validation settings. (Although, ifВ your dropdown menu is limited to only one cell, itвЂ™s not so badвЂ¦) 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. Excel Drop Down List MethodВ #2: Refer to a Data Range YouвЂ™ll only be able to enter values that are in the list you specified вЂ“ and you can still type directly into the cell if you want. ThatвЂ™s it! You have now created a drop down menu for the cells you selected. Your cells will now have a menu when they are selected in Excel.

Click OK to save the Data Validation options.

In the вЂњSource:вЂќ box, enter in your values separated by commas.

In the вЂњAllow:вЂќ dropdown menu, select вЂњListвЂќ.

Click on theВ Data Validation menuВ (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V.

In your Excel workbook, select the cells that youВ want toВ applyВ the drop down menu to.

HereвЂ™sВ the quickest way to set up a drop down menu in Excel:

DifficultВ to keep consistent if you need to change your list of dropdown menu items.

There are some dangers with this option (and the other methods will work around these risks) but it is easily the fastest way to implement a drop down menu. If you have a fixed list of values that you want to choose from, you can enter them manually into the вЂњSource:вЂќ box when you change the Validation options.

OK, enough of the introduction вЂ“ letвЂ™sВ create a drop down menu in Excel! Excel Drop Down List MethodВ #1 (quickest): Enter Your Menu OptionsВ Manually In each of the threeВ methodsВ below, you willВ useВ thisВ feature toВ choose the items in our menu. The Data Validation menuВ isВ in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon: You can force cells to beВ integers, dates, or values from a specific list (which is what youвЂ™ll be using for creating these menus) and a few other options. Think of Data Validation is a restrictionВ or limitation that Excel applies to the cells you specify. You canвЂ™t create a drop down list in Excel without using the Data Validation feature. This is just a simple example that might be used in an office environment,В and weвЂ™ll go through this example throughout this post.ДЄnd before we get into the specificВ points of each method, read on to find out about the Data Validation feature which is a key part ofВ setting up a drop down menu in Excel.

These kinds of forms need to be filled out in a certain way, so itвЂ™s helpful to limit values so that Bob in Accounts knows exactly which budget line to allocate the Christmas Party funds to. The company you work at might have a Finance or HR form which looks similar to the above.