Adding a drop-down list to an Excel spreadsheet will help make data entry faster by offering users a list of items from which to choose what is required instead of entering information each time. When you put such data in a cell in a spreadsheet, an arrow begins to appear in it. You enter data by clicking on the arrow, and then select the desired entry. You can configure the Excel program in the drop-down list for several minutes, thereby greatly improving the speed of data entry. The following is a description of this process.
Instructions for Excel
Open the table on the page of which you want to create a drop-down list. Create a list of items that should be reflected in the list. Enter the data in the order in which it will subsequently open. Records must be made in the same row or column, and must not contain empty cells.
To make a list of the necessary elements in a separate sheet, click on the sheet label where you want to enter the data. Select a type and then highlight the content that appears in the list. Right-click on the selected range of cells and enter a name for the range in the "Name" field, and then select "OK". You can protect or hide the sheet so that other users cannot make changes to the list.
The basics of how to make a drop-down list in Excel
Click on the cell you have selected for this purpose. Click the "Data" tab in the Microsoft Excel ribbon. A dialog box titled "Data Validation" will appear. Go to the “Settings” tab and click “List” from the “Allow” menu located in the drop-down list. Press the toggle button in the Source menu. Select the list of items that you want to include in your Excel drop-down list.
If you created a range name in the Source field, enter an equal sign, and then enter the range name.
Necessary settings to create
Check or uncheck the box in the “Ignore empty” column, depending on whether the cell containing the drop-down list can remain empty.
Click on the "Message Entry" tab to display a message box that opens when you click the drop-down list. Make sure that the checkbox next to the menu item "Show input message when selecting a cell" is checked, and enter a title. So you follow all the instructions on how to make a drop-down list in Excel.
Click on the “Alert Error” tab to display an error message if incorrect data is entered. Verify that the “Show Error” warning is enabled by checking the corresponding box.
Click "OK" to save the verification criteria and create a drop-down list.
How to make a drop-down list in Excel - useful notes
If the drop-down entry in the list is larger than the size of the cell containing this list, you can change the width of the cell to view all the text.
To remove a drop-down list, select the cell containing it. Click the Data tab in the Microsoft Excel ribbon. Click the “Data Verification” button from the “Working with Data” group. Go to the Settings tab, click the Clear All button, and then OK.
As you can see, the guide on how to make a drop-down list in Excel is quite simple. This instruction does not require any special knowledge, it is only necessary at the initial level to be able to work with spreadsheets. It is also worth noting that in various versions of the Excel program, the menu items may have some differences with the above, this should be taken into account when working.