Video: Drop-down lists

Try it! Transcript

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Data entry is quicker and more accurate when you use a drop-down list to limit the entries people can make in a cell. When someone selects a cell, the drop-down list's down-arrow appears, and they can click it and make a selection.

Create a drop-down list

You can make a worksheet more efficient by providing drop-down lists. Someone using your worksheet clicks an arrow, and then clicks an entry in the list.

1. Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.

2. On the ribbon, click DATA > Data Validation.

3. In the dialog, set Allow to List.

4. 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.

Want more?

Create a drop-down list

Add or remove items from a drop-down list

Remove a drop-down list

Lock cells to protect them

Data entry is quicker and more accurate when you use a drop-down list to limit the entries that people can make in a cell.

When you select a cell, the drop-down list's down-arrow appears, click it, and make a selection.

Here is how to create drop-down lists: Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.

On the ribbon, click the DATA tab, and click Data Validation.

In the dialog, set Allow to List.

Click in Source.

In this example, we are using a comma-delimited list.

The text or numbers we type in the Source field are separated by commas.

And click OK. The cells now have a drop-down list.

Up next, Drop-down list settings.