How to Set Up a Drop

1. Make a list of the items that you want to be listed in the drop-down menu. It is best to do this in a separate worksheet from where you want to set up the drop-down menu box, so that it doesn't clutter up the spreadsheet. To access different worksheets, click on the tabs at the bottom of the page. Beginning in cell A1 of the new worksheet, enter each item for the list in a separate cell.
2. Name the list by first highlighting the list of items. Then click in the 'Name Box' just above column A. Enter in a name for the list--Animals, for example. Once the list is created and named, it can easily be added to the drop-down box menu.
3. Go back to the worksheet where you want the drop-down box. Click in the cell where it should be inserted.
4. Click on the 'Data' tab on the top toolbar. Click on the drop-down arrow next to 'Data Validation' in the 'Data Tools' section. Select 'Data Validation' and a box will open up.
5. Select the 'Settings' tab in the 'Data Validation' box. This is where you will enter the information to set up the drop-down box and menu.
6. Choose 'List' from the menu under the 'Allow' section. Additional fields will be displayed in the box. Make sure that the 'Ignore' blank and 'In-cell' drop-down boxes are checked.
7. Enter a source for the drop-down box. In the 'Source' box, enter the equal symbol (=) and the name of the list that you created. The name should be entered just as you entered it when you named the list. For example: enter =Animals.
8. Click 'OK.' You will see an arrow out to the side of the cell where you added the drop-down box. Click on the arrow to access items from the list. To add a specific item to the cell, click on it and the cell will be populated with that item.