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want to learn how to do a drop down box in excel

Dorn Tennis 0 Reputation points
2026-05-12T15:55:44.5066667+00:00

want to learn drop down menu for excel

have instruction printed just want to see how it goes

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | Windows

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  1. Julie Huynh 1,360 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-13T12:50:52.2066667+00:00

    Dear @Dorn Tennis,

    Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

    Based on your description, I understand that you want to learn how to create a drop-down list in Excel. You mentioned that you already have printed instructions, but you’d like to see how the process works in practice.I’ve tested the steps on my end, and you should be able to follow along with your printed instructions without any issues:

    First, I created a 'Data' sheet with some fruits:

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    After that, a new sheet was created for the drop-down list for favorite fruit with names > click on the cells where I want the drop-down list to appear > go to Data tab > Data Validation:

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    In the pop-up window, under Allow, select 'List' > enter your list items in the Source box from the 'Data' sheet > OK:

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    You should now see a drop-down arrow in your selected cell:

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    I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you.

    Kindly let me know when there are updates or if you need further assistance. Any updates you’re able to share would be really helpful. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing how things are going! 

    Thank you for your time and patience.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-12T15:56:00.2433333+00:00

    To create a simple drop-down box (list) in Excel on Windows:

    1. In a new or existing worksheet, type the list of items you want in the drop-down in a single column (for example, in cells A2:A9).
      • For best results, turn this list into an Excel table by selecting a cell in the list and pressing Ctrl+T.
    2. Click the cell where the drop-down should appear (for example, B2).
    3. On the Ribbon, go to the Data tab and click Data Validation.
      • If Data Validation is grayed out, the sheet may be protected or shared; unprotect or stop sharing first.
    4. In the Data Validation dialog, on the Settings tab:
      • In Allow, choose List.
      • Click in the Source box, then select the cells that contain the list items (for example, A2:A9). Do not include the header.
      • Make sure In-cell dropdown is checked.
      • Optionally check Ignore blank if leaving the cell empty is allowed.
    5. Click OK.

    Now, when selecting that cell, a small arrow appears; click it to see and choose from the drop-down list.

    Optional messages and error alerts:

    1. To show a tip when the cell is selected:
      • In the same Data Validation dialog, go to the Input Message tab.
      • Check Show input message when cell is selected, then enter a title and message.
    2. To control what happens if someone types something not in the list:
      • Go to the Error Alert tab.
      • Check Show error alert after invalid data is entered.
      • Choose a Style:
        • Information or Warning: shows a message but allows other values.
        • Stop: prevents any value not in the list.
      • Enter a title and message, or leave blank to use Excel’s default text.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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