How do you make a drop-down list in Excel?

To make a drop-down list in Excel, enter the list information in a worksheet, highlight the cells, right-click on the selection to define the name, and then select Data Validation from the Data tab. From the dialog box, customize the list options.

1. Enter the list information

   Open a new or existing worksheet, and type the entries for the list in a single row or column of cells.

2. Name the list

   Highlight the cells for the list, right-click on it, and select Define Name. Type a name without spaces in the appropriate box, and then press the OK button.

3. Position the drop-down list

   To assign a location for the drop-down list, click on a cell in the worksheet.

4. Create a list

   Navigate to the Data tab, and select Data Validation in the Data Tools group. From the Settings tab, select List from the Allow box, and in the Source box, enter an equal sign followed by the name of the list.

5. Edit the drop-down list options

   In the Data Validation dialog box, select Ignore Blank if it is okay to leave a cell blank, and select In-Cell Dropdown if you want the drop-down list to appear inside a cell. Navigate to the Input Message tab, and enter any message you want to appear when a cell is selected. From the Error Alert tab, select a Style option, and then type the title and message you want to appear if an incorrect cell is selected.