Excel Tips - Create Searchable Dropdown Lists | No VBA or Formulas Required | Latest Excel Versions

How to Create Searchable Dropdown Lists in Excel

Excel has a feature that allows you to create searchable dropdown lists in the latest version of Excel for desktop or Excel 365 online. This feature enables you to filter the dropdown list based on the text you enter, making it easier to find specific items quickly. Follow the steps below to set this up on your Excel spreadsheet:

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet and create a list of different candy names that you want to use for your dropdown list.

Step 2: Format the Data as a Table

1. Highlight the range of candy names that you want to use for your dropdown list.
2. Press Ctrl + T on your keyboard to format the selected range as a table.
3. In the top left corner, go to the Name Box and enter a name for the range of candy names. Press Enter.

Step 3: Set Up the Dropdown List

1. Select the cell where you want the dropdown list to appear.
2. Go to the Data tab at the top of the Excel window.
3. Click on Data Validation in the Data Tools group.
4. In the Allow dropdown menu, select List.
5. In the Source field, enter the name of the table range you created earlier.
6. Click OK to apply the data validation.

Step 4: Test the Searchable Dropdown List

1. Click on the cell with the dropdown list.
2. Start typing a word (e.g., "Taffy") into the dropdown list.
3. Notice how Excel filters the dropdown list to show only items containing the entered word.
4. You can type any part of a word to filter the dropdown list based on partial matches.

Step 5: Update the Dropdown List Dynamically

1. If you add new candy names to your table, the dropdown list will automatically update to include these new items.
2. This dynamic updating feature is why formatting your list of candy names as a table is important.

Congratulations! You have successfully created a searchable dropdown list in Excel without the need for VBA or complex formulas. Enjoy using this feature to make your data entry tasks more efficient.

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