Quickly select multiple items from drop-down lists in Excel

If you have set data validation (drop-down list) for a cell, you can select one item from the drop-down list only. And if you select an item from the drop-down list again, the item selected later will overwrite the existing one. Is it able to append lately selected items, and make multiple selections from the drop-down list? Yes, the Multi-select Drop-down List feature of Kutools for Excel brings you a choice.

Select one item in one cell	Select multiple items in one cell

Multi-select drop down list settings

If you use the Multi-select Drop-down List utility for first time, you need set the Settings firstly.

Click Kutools > Drop-down List > Multi-select Drop-down List > Settings.

In the Multi-select Drop-down List Settings dialog, please configure below options:

1) In Apply to section, you can decide which ranges or sheets, workbooks the Multi-select Drop-down list effects.

Specified Ranges: only work at the selected ranges of the current sheet.

Specified Scope: the utility works at the current sheet, current workbook, or all workbooks you opened based on the choose from the drop-down menu.

2) In Text Direction section, you can choose displaying the multi-items horizontally or vertically in the cell.

Display horizontally	Display vertically

3) In Separator section, type the delimiter you want to separate the items in a cell.

4) In Options section, decide the operation about duplicate items in a cell.

Do not add duplicates: tick this checkbox only, the duplicated item cannot be added to the cell. But the existed ones can be kept.

Remove Duplicates: tick this checkbox, the duplicated item cannot be added to the cell, and at the same time, the existed one will be removed onces time by one click.

Do not add duplicate	Remove Duplicates

Click Ok to finish the settings.

Enable Multi-select Drop-down list feature

After settings, you need to enable the Multi-select Drop-down list feature to take the settings effect.

Click Kutools > Drop-down List > Multi-select Drop-down List, you can see a tick before the tab.

Now you can select multiple items in the drop-down list in your specified scope or ranges.

 Notes

1) This Multi-select Drop-down List feature will keep turning on after closing the workbook.

2) You can apply the Clear Data Validation Restrictions feature of Kutools for Excel to clear the data validation of drop-down lists from selections.

3) If you have opened the Multi-select Drop-down List Settings dialog and specified the applying range before, it will automatically specify the same applying range in the Apply to section when you open the dialog next time.

4) If there is no drop-down list existed in your specified ranges or scope, you need to create a drop-down list first, otherwise, you cannot apply the Multi-select Drop-down List feature. The feature Create simple drop-down list can help you quickly create a simple drop-down list to test this feature.

5) The Multi-select Drop-down List feature works when Kutools for Excel installed.

 Demo：Select multiple items from drop-down lists in Excel

Kutools for Excel

The functionality described above is just one of 300 powerful functions of Kutools for Excel.

Designed for Excel(Office) 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and Office 365. Free download and use for 60 days.