This guide will show you how to create a drop down list in Excel in a few easy steps.
Drop down lists are a great addition to spreadsheets when you need to limit user input to a defined set of values.
Create a drop down list
- Create a list of values to use for the drop down list. Each value should be in a separate cell.
- Click the cell where you want the drop down menu, click the Data ribbon, and then click the Data Validation command
- From the Allow dropdown menu, select List
- Then select your source for the List, referencing the cells for the values you created in step 1
- Click OK and you have a drop down menu!
As you can see, creating a drop down list in excel is simple and can be done in 5 easy steps. There are many uses for drop down lists in Excel, including limiting user input to a few select values or being able to toggle quickly between variables.
Updating a drop down list
If you want to change any of the items in the drop down list, simply modify the cell in values area. The data validation command dynamically references these cells for the drop down list. Making any changes will update the drop down list.
Removing an item from the drop down list is also very easy. Simply delete the cell of the item you want to remove and the value will be removed from the drop down list.
To add an item to the drop down list you’ll have to insert a cell or extend the source reference that was set in step 4 above.
Download the example Excel file
Download the Excel file shown in the example above.
