Many Excel users tend to create drop down list with multiple checkboxes in order to select multiple items from the list per time. Actually, you can’t create a list with multiple checkboxes with Data Validation. In this tutorial, we are going to show you two methods to create drop down list with multiple checkboxes in Excel.
Use List Box to create a drop down list with multiple checkboxes
A: Create a list box with source data
B: Name the cell which you will locate the selected items
C: Insert a shape to help output the selected items
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As below screenshot shown, in current worksheet, all names in range A2:A11 will be the source data of the list box. Click on the button in cell C4 can output the selected items, and all selected items in the list box will be displayed in cell E4. To achieve this, please do as follows.
1. Click Developer > Insert > List Box (Active X Control). See screenshot:
2. Draw a list box in current worksheet, right click it and then select Properties from the right-clicking menu.
3. In the Properties dialog box, you need to configure as follows.
If you need to output all selected items into a specified cell such as E4, please do as follows.
1. Select the cell E4, enter ListBoxOutput into the Name Box and press the Enter key.
1. Click Insert > Shapes > Rectangle. See screenshot:
2. Draw a rectangle in your worksheet (here I draw the rectangle in cell C4). Then right click the rectangle and select Assign Macro from the right-clicking menu.
3. In the Assign Macro dialog box, click the New button.
4. In the opening Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, please replace the original code in the Module window with the below VBA code.
VBA code: Create a list with multiple checkboxes
Sub Rectangle1_Click()
'Updated by Extendoffice 20200730
Dim xSelShp As Shape, xSelLst As Variant, I, J As Integer
Dim xV As String
Set xSelShp = ActiveSheet.Shapes(Application.Caller)
Set xLstBox = ActiveSheet.ListBox1
If xLstBox.Visible = False Then
xLstBox.Visible = True
xSelShp.TextFrame2.TextRange.Characters.Text = "Pickup Options"
xStr = ""
xStr = Range("ListBoxOutput").Value
If xStr <> "" Then
xArr = Split(xStr, ";")
For I = xLstBox.ListCount - 1 To 0 Step -1
xV = xLstBox.List(I)
For J = 0 To UBound(xArr)
If xArr(J) = xV Then
xLstBox.Selected(I) = True
Exit For
End If
Next
Next I
End If
Else
xLstBox.Visible = False
xSelShp.TextFrame2.TextRange.Characters.Text = "Select Options"
For I = xLstBox.ListCount - 1 To 0 Step -1
If xLstBox.Selected(I) = True Then
xSelLst = xLstBox.List(I) & ";" & xSelLst
End If
Next I
If xSelLst <> "" Then
Range("ListBoxOutput") = Mid(xSelLst, 1, Len(xSelLst) - 1)
Else
Range("ListBoxOutput") = ""
End If
End If
End Sub
Note: In the code, Rectangle1 is the shape name; ListBox1 is the name of the list box; Select Options and Pickup Options are the displayed texts of the shape; and the ListBoxOutput is the range name of the output cell. You can change them based on your needs.
5. Press Alt + Q keys simultaneously to close the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
6. Click on the rectangle button will fold or expand the list box. When the list box is expanding, checking the items in the list box, and then click the rectangle again to output all selected items into cell E4. See below demo:
7. And then save the workbook as an Excel MacroEnable Workbook for reusing the code in the future.
The above method is too multistep to handle easily. Here highly recommend the Drop-down List with Check Boxes utility of Kutools for Excel to help you easily create drop-down list with checkboxes in a specified range, current worksheet, current workbook or all opened workbooks based on your needs. See the below demo:
Download and try it now! (
30-day free trail)
Besides the above demo, we also provide a step-by-step guide to demonstrate how to apply this feature to achieve this task. Please do as follows.
1. Open the worksheet that you have set data validation drop-down list, click Kutools > Drop-down List > Drop-down List with Check Boxes > Settings. See screenshot:
2. In the Drop-down List wit Check Boxes Settings dialog box, please configure as follows.
3. The last step, click Kutools > Drop-down List > Drop-down List with Check Boxes > Enable Drop-down List of Check Boxes to activate this feature.
From now on, when you click the cells with drop-down list in a specified scope, a list box will pop up, please select items by checking the checkboxes to output into cell as the below demo shown (Take the Modify mode as an example).
For more details of this feature, please visit here.
If you want to have a free trial ( 30-day) of this utility, please click to download it, and then go to apply the operation according above steps.
Autocomplete when typing in Excel drop down list
If you have a data validation drop down list with large values, you need to scroll down in the list just for finding the proper one, or type the whole word into the list box directly. If there is method for allowing to auto complete when typing the first letter in the drop down list, everything will become easier. This tutorial provides the method to solve the problem.
Create drop down list from another workbook in Excel
It is quite easy to create a data validation drop down list among worksheets within a workbook. But if the list data you need for the data validation locates in another workbook, what would you do? In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a drop fown list from another workbook in Excel in details.
Create a searchable drop down list in Excel
For a drop down list with numerous values, finding a proper one is not an easy work. Previously we have introduced a method of auto completing drop down list when enter the first letter into the drop down box. Besides the autocomplete function, you can also make the drop down list searchable for enhancing the working efficiency in finding proper values in the drop down list. For making drop down list searchable, try the method in this tutorial.
Auto populate other cells when selecting values in Excel drop down list
Let’s say you have created a drop down list based on the values in cell range B8:B14. When you selecting any value in the drop down list, you want the corresponding values in cell range C8:C14 be automatically populated in a selected cell. For solving the problem, the methods in this tutorial will do you a favor.
