Drop-Down List In Excel: The Best Guide For Beginners

Create A Drop-Down List

To create a drop-down list in Excel, follow these steps:

• Select the cell which you want the drop-down list to appear in.
• From the Data tab of the ribbon and select Data Validation.

• Change what’s allowed from ‘Any Value’ to ‘List’

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• In the ‘Source’ box that appears,

• Type the list of items separated by a comma.

Your drop-down list is ready.

• Select the source box, then use your mouse to select the cells containing values that you’d like to use for the drop-down list.

The drop-down list is now created.

Allow Other Entries

You can create a drop-down list that allows you to enter other entries apart from the options given. To do that, follow these steps:

• Go to the data validation function arguments.
• On the Error Alert tab, uncheck 'Show error alert after invalid data is entered'.

• Click OK

Add Items to the List

You can also add the additional elements to your drop-down list without opening the data validation argument window. To add the elements, follow these steps:

• To add an item to a drop-down list, go to the items, and select an item.
• Right-click and select Insert.

• Select "Shift cells down" and click OK.
• Type a new item and click Enter. It adds the new item to the list.

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Input Message Tab

You can set the input message to explain what data it allows in a given cell. This tab is optional.

• Check 'Show input message when the cell is selected'.
• Enter a title.
• Enter an Input message.

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Conclusion

A drop-down list in Excel is an excellent way to limit the options for user entry. It ensures it enters the right data into a cell. We discussed ways in which we can create a drop-down list.

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