How to copy a drop-down list in Excel

You can watch a video tutorial here.

To validate the data that is entered in an Excel cell, it is possible to define the list of values that are allowed by creating a drop-down list.  This is especially useful when creating data entry forms and you need to restrict the values that are entered. By restricting the values, you can ensure that the data collected is uniform and that less effort is spent on cleaning the data later.  You can either type out the list or refer to a list of allowed values. Once you have defined a drop-down list you may want to copy it to other locations to ensure that all the lists that refer to the same data have the same values. There are 3 ways in which this can be done:

1. Keyboard shortcuts
2. Context menu
3. Home menu

Option 1 – Use the keyboard shortcuts

Step 1 – Copy the list

• Select the list to be copied
• Press Ctrl+C

Step 2 – Paste the data

• Go to the sheet where the list is to be pasted
• Press Ctrl+V

Option 2 – Use the context menu

Step 1 – Copy the data

• Select the data
• Right-click and select Copy from the context menu

Step 2 – Paste the data

• Go to the sheet where the list is to be pasted
• Right-click and select Paste from the context menu

Step 3 – Check the result

• The drop-down list is copied to the new location

Option 3 – Use the Home menu

Step 1 – Copy the data

• Select the data
• Go to Home > Clipboard 
• Select Copy 

Step 2 – Paste the data

• Go to the sheet where the list is to be pasted

• Go to Home > Clipboard
• Select Paste 

Step 3 – Check the result

• The drop-down list is copied to the new location