🔎 How to Create Searchable Drop Down List in Excel

In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to build a searchable drop down list in Microsoft Excel. First, we look at how to create a searchable drop down list on Excel for the web, which is very easy. All you need to do is to create a drop down list and it's searchable by default. Desktop Excel is a little more involved and requires three functions, including search, isnumber, and filter. First, we start by creating a drop down list that works on one cell. Then we progress and build a drop down list that works across multiple cells. By the end, you'll master creating searchable drop down lists on both Excel on the web and Excel desktop.

👋 Additional resources

⌚ Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
0:45 Create searchable drop down list in Excel on the web
2:53 Create basic drop down list in Excel desktop - no search
4:27 Create searchable drop down list in Excel desktop - one cell
11:28 Create searchable drop down list in Excel desktop - multiple cells
17:30 Best practices
18:09 Wrap up

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[waydgaming]

By far, the best example of a searchable drop down! Everyone I have seen so far does just one cell, THIS is what most probably needed! Thank you

[Sonia-zqek]

I love the way you kick start your videos with “To-day”… 😄 Thanks so much for all these useful lessons!!🙏🏻

[damilolaadeogun]

I've been searching for a very simple follow along tutorial for over an hour now... Glad I found your video.. Thank you for making this so simple 👏👏👏

[AvanishKesharwani]

Thanks for this video Kevin, I have followed the steps from the spreadsheet you have given. Now I learnt how to insert Searchable Drop-Down List in MS-Excel.

[JustBlankNoInfo]

When you said "Spoiler Alert" that's the moment you nailed the pin down. You've totally upped your game with the thumbnails, the audio the video it's just so much improvement from the past year! Love the way you listen to small people's advice! I would just be grateful for a cookie though!

[gvinodnair]

Kevin, it's a bit complex for a beginner, but very innovative, advanced and practical approach it is I should say. Thanks!

[SBFay]

Superb! Thanks for addressing the desktop solution.
I do a lot of work for my Volunteer Fire Dept., but we are rural with spotty internet (so online solutions seldom work for us). This will help me develop some Excel data entry forms for inventory, equipment checks, vehicle maintenance, and incident reporting.

[zapchickenhpl]

Finally, I found video which really help me. I stuck in spills error many days. this is very clear, very useful for my over hundred lists of raw materials for kitchen. Thank you so much Kevin.

[swastikszn]

You are my best online teacher, Kevin Your videos help me a lot
Thank you!

[swastikszn]

I have a Excel class now and I needed this video thanks for uploading this video Kevin!

[saikaushikkothapalli]

Been searching for the multiple rows with sreachble dropdows for over 3 montnhs now. This is great! Than you so much

[renatajesus]

Thank you. I already knew all of it except for the transpose. That is amazing. I just didn't know about transpose. Thanks again.

[elisirs]

You don’t even know how much you helped me, I was going nuts because I had to apply the formula on many cells… This was really really helpful, thank you very much. 😭❤️

[JIMFX]

thank you kevin for this video i was looking for this thing on how to create excel searchable drop down list
it has really helped me
thanks kevin

[iviegonzales]

I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thank you!

[CPIVCR]

thank you. I've been searching for this for a long time. great job presenting the info in a simple and understandable format.

[kuuuyajim]

Love it! ❤️ Hopefully Microsoft is able implement the searchable drop-down on desktop app soon so we no longer need to do this workaround and so it would be easier as well for those who are not Office 365 subscribers.

[antonisp]

+2 points for you Kevin. Watched similar video and lacks web solution and multiple row solution which I needed. Thank you very much!

[GoGoGoB]

I love this! I think I love you! You explained sth so easily in one video that I've been trying to find out in five separate videos.

[chandrusunil]

Hi kevin, instead of going for a transpose and hiding the columns of the validated list, I recommend you could use the function "cell('contents")" as the search criteria for the search function initially (instead of "A6" in you formula) so that you can use the same formula on all rows and search gets modified based on what you type in the cell.