
On the Custom Lists tab, click NEW LIST.From the Excel Options dialog, click Advanced.(Microsoft 365 users need to click More.) In this case, you can add the entries directly. The first option is when you have a few values such as Small, Medium, and Large. There are three methods for creating these lists. How to Add Entries to Custom List Box (Direct) When I sort inventory, I probably want that same order instead of an alphabetical sort of Dime, Nickel, Penny, and Quarter. For example, if I’m a coin collector, I may designate denominations of Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter. This means you want to think about their order. One item to remember is that custom lists can be used as a sort criterion. However, you can have entries that have both numbers and letters such as parts numbers. To get around this issue you need to format the list values as text. These lists do not work for a list of just numbers such as zip codes. Consider Your List ContentsĪnother consideration for these lists is the data format. However, if you needed to do a regional sales commission report, you might make a dependent list that filters to show the sales agents for a specific sales region. For example, if you do department reporting, you might want to create a custom list that includes all of them. The list of items you see is dependent on another cell reference value. In contrast, Excel Dependent Lists are conditional. They tend to be used frequently and are known entities. When you think about Excel’s built-in lists, there are some common denominators. One question you may want to answer is which type of list you need. This is helpful to people who do similar reports on a frequent basis. In addition to not having to type the list each time you need it, the lists can be used across workbooks. Maybe it’s employee names, product SKUs, or sports teams. The difference is you define the values that pertain to your work or reports. Think of them as your version of Excel’s built-in lists for months, days, etc. When you drag the fill handle, you see your pre-defined entries appear. Create a Custom List from a Named RangeĬustom lists are a type of autofill list that can be used either vertically or horizontally so you don’t have to worry about switching columns and rows.How to Create a Custom List (Highlight Range).How to Add Entries to Custom List Box (Direct).
