Data Validation in Microsoft Excel allows users to control the type of data entered into the worksheet. It picks from a list of rules to limit the type of data that can be entered into a cell.

Excel's drop-down menus are useful for creating order forms and navigation for larger files like records of sales. The options in the menus are references to cells elsewhere on the spreadsheet.

It's vital to remember a few key points. Changes to the source list will not automatically reflect in the drop-down list — it must be manually updated in the Data Validation box.

Now, let’s use UNIQUE () to create a unique list of region values and then base a data validation dropdown on that list. First, let’s create the list shown in column H. Enter the following ...

You can easily create a drop-down list in Excel to limit the values that can be entered in a column. This data validation helps prevent mistakes, such as misspellings.