How to Add a Combo Box to Excel

Forms controls, such as combo boxes, may be added to Excel spreadsheets to create interactive documents.

In addition to typical spreadsheet program features, such as storing and tracking data, Microsoft's Excel also has additional features that allow you to create interactive documents. Among these features is the ability to add forms controls to workbooks, such as combo boxes. You may use the arrow on a combo box to select from a drop-down list of pre-formatted responses. After you select the responses, the spreadsheet may be returned to you to retrieve and track the data.

Instructions

1. Launch Excel and open the document to which you want to add a combo box. Type the response that you want to appear in the combo box into separate cells in order in the worksheet. For example, "North," "South," "East" and "West" would be entered into cells A:1 through A:4.

2. Click the "Developer" tab and locate the "Controls" section. Click the "Insert" button and select the "Combo box" option from the "Form Controls" section. Click once in the area of the spreadsheet where the combo box should be added, which will generate the box.

3. Click the "Developer" tab and locate the "Controls" section. Click the "Properties" button, which will launch a separate window. Click the "Input Range" field and select the cells with the responses that you entered in step 1. Click the "OK" button.

References

• Microsoft Office: Add a Combo Box