Custom lists are a rather esoteric Excel feature that allows you to specify ordered lists of information for virtually any purpose. For instance, a list might include a series of classes or workshops, or it might include a series of employee names. Custom lists can be used when sorting data tables, and they can be used by the AutoFill feature.
How you create a custom list from scratch has been covered in other issues of ExcelTips. Rather than creating a list from scratch, however, you might find it easier to import a list from a series of cells already in your worksheet. Follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Custom Lists dialog box.
You can now use the custom list as you would any other custom list in Excel.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6243) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Importing Custom Lists.
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2019-10-29 11:04:24
Ann C
Great tip! I used to use this to help me both create row headers in the correct order (for example, I worked with data from nine counties frequently, and could use Fill Down to get them in their proper row or column order) and doing custom sorting. It kept the biggest metro counties in the foreground rather than sorting them alphabetically.
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