

Make your drop-down lists stand out by using the format painter tool to apply a specific style to relevant cells, making them easy for your colleagues to identify. To optimize your lists, consider these tips:
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Related: How To Learn Excel for Office Work: A Complete Guide Tips for optimizing drop-down lists in Excelĭrop-down lists in Excel are useful, but you can follow certain practices to optimize your lists and improve your efficiency with them. Make sure each item in your list is separated by a comma. In the text box underneath the word "Source," add or remove your desired list items. This typically appears between the "Remove Duplicates" button and the "Consolidate" button. Once you have the data view open, click on the "Data Validation" button at the top of your screen. Next, click on the specific cell that houses the drop-down list. Follow these steps if you'd like to edit such a table: Rather, the list options derive from data you've inputted directly in the Data Validation menu. Related: How To Sort Data in Excel (With Step-by-Step Instructions) How to edit a drop-down list in Excel that you entered manuallyĪ manually entered drop-down list has no referenced range. Then click the "Yes" button to confirm your changes.
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Then update the "References" formula to either include the cells you want to add or exclude the cells you want to remove.Ĭlick on the "Close" button to update your drop-down list. In the pop-up window that appears, select the named range on which you based your drop-down list. This button typically appears to the right of the "More Functions" button. Next, click on the "Name Manager" button at the top of your screen. If you already have this view open, the "Formulas" tab may appear highlighted or underlined. Select the "Formulas" menu tab in the toolbar at the top of your screen to open the formulas view. To edit a drop-down list based on a named range, follow these steps: The list source is similar to that of a regular cell range, except the cells you're referencing have a commonly assigned designation, such as "Price" for a range of price-related data. Related: How To Alphabetize Excel Cells, Columns and Rows How to edit a drop-down list in Excel from a named rangeĪnother way to create an Excel drop-down list is with a named range. You can either extend the cell range to include the new data you entered on your worksheet or reduce the cell range to exclude the data you removed from it.Ĭlick the "OK" button to update your drop-down list and save your changes. In the text box underneath the word "Source," adjust the cell range of your drop-down list. In the pop-up window that opens, click on the "Settings" tab. Select "Data Validation" from the drop-down menu that appears. Once you have the data view open, click on the " Data Validation " button at the top of your screen. If you already have this view open, the "Data" tab may appear highlighted or underlined. Open the Excel file you want to edit and then navigate to the specific worksheet that contains the items on your list.Ĭlick on the cells in your list to add and remove items.Ĭlick on the specific cell that houses the drop-down list.Ĭlick the "Data" menu tab in the toolbar at the top of your screen to open the data view. Typically, the cell range originates from a separate table, as in the case of a product drop-down based on an inventory worksheet. One way to create a drop-down list in Excel is to base it on a cell range-a specific collection of cells you've selected.

How to edit a drop-down list in Excel from a cell range In this article, we provide step-by-step instructions for editing drop-down lists in Excel for three common scenarios and offer valuable tips to help you optimize the drop-down lists you create. Sometimes, though, it's necessary to update the lists you create, which requires you know how to edit them.

It can not only make a worksheet more dynamic but also improve collaboration and streamline processes among the colleagues with whom you share an Excel file. A drop-down list is a function in Excel that allows users to select inputs from a predetermined array of options.
