A drop-down list is a great way to ensure that your users enter data that is consistent with what you are expecting. By providing a list of valid entries, you can prevent errors and improve the overall quality of your data. Excel makes it easy to create a drop-down list, and you can even make a single-use drop-down list that will only be used once and then deleted.
To create a single-use drop-down list in Excel:
- Open your workbook in Excel.
- Select the cell or range of cells where you want the drop-down list to appear.
- On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.
- In the Allow box, click List.
In the Source box, type the entries that you want to appear in your drop-down list, separated by commas.
For example: Red, Green, Blue
" In the "Input Message " box , type a message to display when the cell is selected . This message will explain what should be entered in the cell . For example : Please select a color from the list . span > div >< div class = "MsoNormal" style = "margin : 0in 0in 10pt ; " >< span style = "font - size : 11pt ; font - family : ' Calibri ', ' sans - serif ' ; color : rgb (34 , 34 , 34) ; ">" If you want this message to appear every time someone selects the cell , select Show input message when cell is selected . span > div >< div class = "MsoNormal" style = "margin : 0in 0in 10pt ; " >< span style = "font - size : 11pt ; font - family : ' Calibri ', ' sans - serif ' ; color : rgb (34 , 34 , 34) ; ">" In the Error Alert tab , select Show error alert after invalid data is entered . This will display a message if someone tries to enter an invalid value in the cell . For example : You must enter a value from the list . span > div > li >< li >< p >< span style = "font - size : 11pt ; font - family : ' Calibri ', ' sans - serif ' ; color : rgb (34 , 34 , 34) ; ">" Click OK to save your changes and close the Data Validation dialog box . span > p > li > ol >