Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 2, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
When you are developing worksheets that will be used by others, you may want to limit what your users can enter into a particular cell. For instance, you might have a cell where the user should enter their department. You would obviously want them to only enter one of the valid departments for your company.
To ensure that only certain departments can be entered in the cell, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Settings tab of the Data Validation dialog box.
Figure 2. The Error Alert tab of the Data Validation dialog box.
That's it. Now, the user can only enter one of your valid department names. Better yet, when they select the cell, they will see a drop-down arrow at the right of the cell where they can select from the department names you specified in step 5. If they enter one that is incorrect, they will see the error message and will need to change what they entered.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8033) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Limiting Choices in a Cell.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
The Data Validation capabilities of Excel can be very helpful when you are trying to control what people can enter into a ...
Discover MoreIt is not unusual to use Excel to gather the answers to users' questions. If you want your users to answer your questions ...
Discover MoreData Validation is a great tool in Excel for making sure that whatever is entered in a cell matches your specific ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments