Keep consistency in data with the dropdown column type

Use the dropdown list columns to standardize the collection of key information:

• Allow your collaborators to select one or more values that apply to them.
• Easily track and report on the standardized values collected.

Your collaborators need Editor permissions or above to select the values from the dropdown columns.

Set up a Dropdown list column in your sheet

To create a Dropdown list column:

1. Select the column menu 
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    and select Insert Column Right or Insert Column Left, depending on where you want to place the additional dropdown column. The Insert Column window appears.
2. Type the name of the column in the Name box.
3. Select the Dropdown list column type. 
4. To prevent users from entering free-text values, toggle Restrict to list values only, and/or toggle Allow multiple values per cell to enable multi-select. 
5. Type the values you want in the list under Values. (You can separate each list value onto a new line by pressing Enter or Return.)
6. Select OK.

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Values in Dropdown cells are ordered by their appearance in the values list.

If the text equivalent of a hyperlink is inserted under Values, it appears as plain text in the values field but is a clickable hyperlink when selected from the dropdown.

That's it! The Single Select or Multi-Select dropdown column appears on your sheet. Now, you can start collecting standardized values from collaborators.

Edit the Dropdown column properties

If you want to add or remove values from the Dropdown list, you can do so by editing the dropdown column properties.

To edit the column properties:

1. Select the column menu 
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    and go to Edit Column Properties.
2. Modify the values listed under Values. Select a value from the dropdown list and then press Backspace or Delete to remove it.
3. Select Ok.

Note the following if you decide to switch between column types:

• When switching between Single Select and Multi-Select dropdown column types, Values in the column properties remain the same. The only difference is that Single Select lets you select a single value from the dropdown list, while Multi-Select lets you select multiple values.
• When you switch from a Single Select or Multi-Select dropdown column type to a non-dropdown column type, cells with a single dropdown value appear as text, and cells with more than one value appear as line-delimited text.
• When switching from a non-dropdown column type to a Single Select or Multi-Select column type, the entire content of each cell is captured and added as one value in the Values section of the dropdown column properties.
• Reports containing those columns need to be updated when switching between single-select and multi-select column types.

Tips for working with dropdown columns

Keep the following in mind when modifying cells in dropdown columns:

• If the dropdown column isn’t restricted to list values only, you’re able to enter a free-text value in the cell by double-selecting the cell and typing the value. These free-text values are added to the dropdown list in the cell where they're added, but they aren’t added to the Values section of the dropdown column properties. 
• In Multi-Select dropdown columns, free text values are saved alphabetically at the end of the cell they're added to.
• The number of values you can select in a Multi-Select dropdown column is unlimited (up to normal cell character limits).

Use the dropdown column type to create linked dropdown columns. You can connect your column's dropdown list options directly to a source sheet, so they instantly reflect any changes your team makes. Learn how to in the Create linked dropdown columns article.