![]() ![]() ![]() Then, press OK! (You’re so close!)Ĭheck it out - you created a drop-down list! Now your data won’t get messy ever again. Then, in the Source selector, click and drag across cell D2:D5 (you don’t want you folks to be able to choose the data header). In the drop-down under Allow, choose List. Next, click on Data in the Ribbon, then Data Validation. If you want to choose all of the cells except the header in Column A, then click on Cell A2 and press Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow to go the bottom of the sheet. Select all of the cells that you want the drop-down to exist in. Now that you have laid the groundwork, you can actually build your drop down list. Just underneath the Home tab on the Ribbon, you have the option to enter a Table Name, which is again Excel best practice, so let’s do it. You can see that your data is a table now because Excel makes it look all fancy and stuff. Whoa! You should now have a dialogue box that looks like this:Ĭheck that little box next to where it says “My data has headers” - because, indeed, your data does have headers - then press OK. If you hate shortcuts - and you shouldn’t - you can also click and drag with your mouse to select and the go to the top menu and choose Insert > Table.) (Ctrl+A means select all data that’s next to each other, and Ctrl+T means make a table. To make your table, click anywhere on the data with the header “Fruit Table”, then press Ctrl+A, and then Ctrl+T. Here, you want to do because your data validation will automatically update if you change anything in your table.Īlong the way, let’s practice some shortcuts. Naming tables in Excel is incredibly useful and best practice for a variety of reasons. You might be saying, “But that data is already in a table!” Well, unless you have officially named it - it’s not yet in a table. You’ll learn much better that way! Here’s what my Excel sheet looks like:įirst, make a table in Excel. While you might need the article so you can follow along for your learning, make sure you are actually doing each of these steps in Excel. (If you don’t want to keep it in your pocket, just bookmark this page.) Let’s Make That Drop Down List in Excel So whether you love it or loathe it, the drop down list in Excel is a great tool to keep in your pocket for a rainy day. And I’ll give this to them: a drop-down does allow for less variation in data entry, which can definitely be a problem. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the drop down, but it has its fervent supporters. But trust me, when someone wants a drop down menu, they won’t settle for anything else. After all, it’s not something you need every day. Whether you’re an Excel novice or a whiz, you might not know this skill. By Rich Rinaldi on Februin Advanced Excel Functions and Formulas, Excel FormattingĪt some point, you’ll be asked how to create a drop down list in Excel. ![]()
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