Do you want to know how to create a drop-down list in Microsoft Excel (opens in new tab)? Well we’ve got you covered. Creating a simple drop-down list in Excel might sound a little intimidating at first, but it’s actually very simple. In fact, it’s so easy even an elementary school kid can handle it – it just takes a few quick mouse clicks.
That’s the beauty of Excel and similar spreadsheet programs. Their existence serves to make otherwise complicated tasks so much easier to complete and much more accessible, even for those who aren’t very computer savvy.
Reading: How to create drop-down list in excel 2020
Creating a dropdown list is dead easy, regardless including your Excel skills. There’s a more technical process, but we’ll only cover the simple methods. Whether it’s for your small business or for work, you’ll soon enough master how to create a drop-down list in Excel.
1. How to create a dropdown list in Excel using existing data
For this first method of creating a dropdown list in Excel, we assume that you already have a working list of items you want to use in your dropdown list, already populated in your spreadsheet.
Step 1. Select the cell for your drop-down list.
Make sure this is the cell you want to use for the drop-down list so you don’t have to customize it later.
Step 2. Go to the Data tab and then click Data Validation.
This will open the Data Validation dialog.
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Step 3. Choose On the Settings tab, under Allow, select List. Be sure to check the In-cell dropdown if it’s not already checked.
Step 4. Click on the Source box. Then click and drag your mouse pointer over all the cells that contain the items you want to use for your drop-down list.
This will select those cells at once and automatically fill in the Source field with the data you need for your drop-down list.
Step 5. Click OK.
2. Create a drop-down list in Excel by manually entering items
In the second method, you don’t have an existing list in your spreadsheet to work with, so you have to enter the items manually. To do this, you just need to follow steps through step 4 above.
Step 1. Select the cell for your drop-down list.
Step 2. Go to the Data tab and then click Data Validation to open the “Data Validation” dialog box. p>
Step 3. On the Settings tab, under Allow, select List out of. Make sure to check the In-Cell drop-down menu if it’s not already checked.
Step 4. Click on the Source field. Then enter each individual item for your drop-down list, separating each item with a comma.
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Step 5. Click OK.
3. How to create multiple dropdown lists at once
If you want to create multiple of the same dropdown list at once, you’ll be pleased to know that the process is just as easy as creating a single dropdown list. The only difference is that you select multiple cells – the cells where you want your drop-down lists.
Step 1. Select exactly the cells you want to use for the drop down lists.
Step 2. Go to the data, and then click Data Validation to open the Data Validation dialog box.
Step 3. In the Settings tab, select List under Allow. Be sure to check the In-cell dropdown if it’s not already checked.
Step 4. Click on the Source box. Then click and drag your cursor over each cell that contains the items you want to use for your drop-down list. If you are entering the items manually, simply enter each item and separate each item with a comma.
Step 5. Click OK.
It’s worth noting that there are other, perhaps trickier, ways to do this. For example, you can use Excel formulas to create a simple drop-down list.You can even create a dynamic dropdown list that can be easily expanded as needed. But that’s a tutorial for another day.
Photo credit: Michelle Rae Uy
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