Most people are familiar with dropdown lists. You click on them to reveal options from which you can choose. They make data entry for forms and other types of input much easier.
If you’re a regular Google Sheets user, adding dropdown lists to your workflow can save you a lot of time. This is especially true if you’re creating a spreadsheet that requires choosing from multiple options repeatedly. It’s one thing if you have to type something a few times, but when you have to repeatedly type these same items, the repetition adds up.
Or maybe you’re sharing the spreadsheet with other users and want to limit or simplify the data entry process as much as possible.
Ergo… dropdown lists.
Creating a dropdown list in Google Sheets is actually much easier than you think, thanks to a convenient built-in graphical interface. In fact, since I first wrote this guide, Google has made adding dropdown lists even easier than before. Let me show you two different methods to accomplish this handy task.
How to Create an Easy Dropdown List in Sheets
What you’ll need: The only thing you’ll need to follow this guide is a Google account and the ability to create a new sheet in Google Drive or Google Docs. That’s it, let’s get started.
After setting up the dropdown list, click “Finish” and it’s ready to be used.
How to Create Your Dropdown List in Sheets the Old-Fashioned Way
This second, tried-and-tested method is almost as easy.
1. Open a New Google Sheets Document
Sign in to your Google account and go to Google Drive. Click on New > Google Sheets to create the spreadsheet.
2. Select a Cell and Open the GUI (Graphical User Interface) Tool
Click on the spreadsheet cell where you want to place the dropdown list, then click on Data > Data validation.
3. Create the Dropdown List Details
In the Data validation window, you’ll want to select List of items from the Criteria dropdown, then enter the items (separated by a comma) in the text field on the right.
You can also check the box next to Show help text, as this will provide assistance to the user; if they enter invalid data, they will receive a warning.
After setting up your dropdown list, click Save to save the information.
Using the Dropdown List
Once the dropdown list is created, it will appear in a sheet with a downward-pointing arrow. All a user has to do is click on the dropdown list and choose from the options you have made available.
You may also consider adding a cell either above or directly to the left of the dropdown list and adding content in that new cell indicating what the dropdown list is for.
And voila, that’s all there is to know about adding a dropdown list in Google Sheets. And you thought it was going to be a complicated task. Next time, we’ll learn how to add conditional formatting to your dropdown lists for even more fun with spreadsheets. Stay tuned!
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