If you’re working with others on a shared Google Sheets file, sometimes people can enter unexpected data or something that breaks a formula. One way to ensure everyone enters the data you want is to provide it for them in a drop-down validation list.
How to Create a Drop-Down List
A drop-down list is a great way to ensure the data people enter into your form, application, or spreadsheet is exactly what you’re expecting. It also provides a much faster way for people to input that data since they’re selecting from a pre-configured list you provide.
The first thing you need to do is open up your Google Sheets file and select the cell(s) for which you want to use a drop-down list.
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Next, open the “Data” menu and select the “Data Validation” command.
From the Criteria drop-down, choose either “List From a Range” or “List of Items.”
- List From a Range: A list of values that have been selected from other cells in the same or a different sheet. For example, if you want to use the values in cells B1-B9 on sheet 2, you’d type
Sheet2!B1:B9to have the data contained in them appear in the drop-down list, or by selecting any of the cells from your Sheet directly. - List of Items: A list of predetermined data items. This can be either text or numbers, and you’ll type each value yourself, separating them by commas (and no spaces). This option does not allow you to insert data directly from other cells.
