Drop Down List in Excel: How to Create and Add Drop Down in Excel for PC and Mac Users

Excel is a powerful tool for managing and organising data, but it can be difficult to keep track of large amounts of information without the help of additional features. One such feature is the drop-down list, which allows you to create a list of options that can be easily selected from a drop-down menu within a cell. By adding a drop-down list to your Excel worksheet, you can simplify your data entry process and reduce the risk of errors. In this article, we’ll go over the steps for adding a drop-down list in Excel so you can start using this useful feature to its full potential.

How to add drop down in excel for PC users? 

Adding a drop-down list in Excel is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to add a drop-down list in Excel:

1. Select the cell or cells where you want the drop-down list to appear.
2. Go to the “Data” tab in the ribbon and click on the “Data Validation” button in the “Data Tools” section.
3. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, select the “List” option under “Allow”.
4. Enter the values you want to appear in the drop-down list in a separate row or column in your worksheet, separated by commas.
5. In the “Source” field, enter the range of cells that contain the values you want to appear in the drop-down list, or select the range using your mouse.
6. Click OK to apply the drop-down list.

Once you’ve added the drop-down list, you can select an option from the list by clicking on the cell and then clicking on the arrow to the right of the cell. The drop-down list will appear, and you can choose the desired option from the list.

Note: You can also add a drop-down list to multiple cells at once by selecting the range of cells before following the steps above.

How to add drop down in excel for Mac users?

The process is similar to that of PC users. In order to add a drop-down list in Microsoft Excel for Mac users, one must first select the cell or cells where the drop-down menu is desired to appear. Next, navigate to the “Data” tab in the toolbar and click on the “Data Validation” option located in the “Data Tools” section. 

Within the “Data Validation” dialog box, select “List” under the “Allow” category. Then, the desired values for the drop-down list should be entered into a separate row or column in the spreadsheet, separated by commas. The range of cells containing these values must be specified in the “Source” field, either by manual entry or by selecting the range with the mouse. Finally, clicking “OK” will apply the drop-down list to the designated cells. 

To access an option from the list, simply click on the cell and select it from the drop-down menu that appears. It is important to note that a drop-down list can also be added to multiple cells at once by selecting the desired range prior to following these steps.

How to add drop down in excel for browser? 

To add a drop-down list in the browser version of Microsoft Excel, the process is comparable to adding a drop-down list in the desktop version. The steps to add a drop-down list in the browser version of Excel include selecting the cells where the drop-down list will appear, navigating to the “Data” tab in the ribbon, clicking on the “Data Validation” button in the “Data Tools” section, selecting the “List” option under “Allow” in the “Data Validation” dialog box, and entering the values for the drop-down list in a separate row or column in the worksheet. The specified range of cells containing these values can then be entered in the “Source” field, or selected with the mouse, and the drop-down list will be applied to the selected cells after clicking “OK”.

How to add a drop-down list with data validation in Excel? 

Here are the steps to add a drop-down list with data validation in Excel:

1. Select the cell or cells where you want the drop-down list to appear.
2. Go to the “Data” tab in the ribbon and click on the “Data Validation” button in the “Data Tools” section.
3. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, select the “List” option under “Allow”.
4. Enter the values you want to appear in the drop-down list in a separate row or column in your worksheet, separated by commas.
5. In the “Source” field, enter the range of cells that contain the values you want to appear in the drop-down list, or select the range using your mouse.
6. (Optional) You can also set up a warning message or error message that will appear if someone tries to enter data that is not in the drop-down list. To do this, select the “Input Message” or “Error Alert” tabs in the “Data Validation” dialog box and enter the desired message

How to add a drop-down list with a range of cells in Excel? 

In order to add a drop-down list with a range of cells in Microsoft Excel, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell or cells where you want the drop-down list to appear.
2. Go to the “Data” tab in the ribbon and click on the “Data Validation” option.
3. In the “Data Validation” window, choose “List” under “Allow”.
4. Create a list of items you want to appear in the drop-down list in a separate row or column.
5. Specify the range of cells containing these items in the “Source” field in the “Data Validation” window, either by typing the range or selecting it with your mouse.
6. Click “OK” to apply the drop-down list to the selected cells.

How to create a drop-down list from an Excel table?

In order to create a drop-down list from an Excel table, follow these steps. 

1. Create a table with the values you want to appear in the drop-down list.
2. Select the cell where you want the drop-down list to appear.
3. Go to the “Data” tab and click “Data Validation”.
4. Choose “List” under “Allow”.
5. Enter the table name and column in the “Source” field.
6. Click “OK”.
7. Drop-down list is now created, and you can select values from the table.

How to edit and delete a drop-down list in Excel?

 To edit a drop-down list in Microsoft Excel:

1. Select the cell or cells that contain the drop-down list.
2. Go to the “Data” tab in the ribbon and click on the “Data Validation” button in the “Data Tools” section.
3. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, make the desired changes to the list of items in the drop-down list by updating the values in the “Source” field or adding or removing items.
4. Click “OK” to save the changes.

To delete a drop-down list in Excel:

1. Select the cell or cells that contain the drop-down list.
2. Go to the “Data” tab in the ribbon and click on the “Data Validation” button in the “Data Tools” section.
3. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, click the “Clear All” button to remove all data validation rules.
4. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Also Read: 100+ Best Excel shortcuts that everyone should know