How do I add a drop-down list in Google Sheets?

Updated October 29, 2026By ProfitDrawer

Short answer

To add a drop-down list in Google Sheets, select the cells, click Insert > Dropdown (or Data > Data validation > Add rule), then under Criteria choose Dropdown and type the options, or Dropdown from a range to use a list of cells, and click Done. Google lists 4 ways to start one. ProfitDrawer's bookkeeping spreadsheets use dropdowns for income and expense categories, already set up for each trade and renamable on the Settings tab.

Four ways to open the dropdown panel (computer):

Type @ in a cell and choose Dropdowns.
Click Insert > Dropdown.
Click Data > Data validation > Add rule.
Right-click the cell and choose Dropdown.

Then set the rule:

Under Criteria, pick Dropdown and enter each option (use Add another item for more), or pick Dropdown from a range and select the cells that hold the list.
Optional: turn on Allow multiple selections (chip-style dropdowns only).
To let people type values that are not on the list, open Advanced options and under "If the data is invalid" choose Show a warning.
Click Done.

Tip: if the cells already contain values, select them, right-click and choose Dropdown; the existing values are added to the list. Using a range for the list (for example a categories column) means you can update the options in one place.

Source: Google Docs Editors Help: Create an in-cell dropdown list · Updated October 29, 2026

How do I add a drop-down list in Google Sheets?

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