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Excel - Creating Flexible Drop-Down Lists: Data Validation & Overriding List Entries - Episode 381

686 views · Published 20 October 2009 · 2:30 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Creating Flexible Drop-Down Lists: Data Validation & Overriding List Entries.

Welcome back to another episode of the MrExcel netcast! In this week's video, we're diving into the world of Data Validation and how it can help us create a drop-down list in Excel. But what happens when our list is not comprehensive enough and our sales reps need to enter a new product or district? That's where indiscriminate validation comes in.

By configuring our validation settings to the "Warning" style, we can give our sales reps the option to override the list and enter a new value if needed. This way, we're not giving them any excuses for not sending back their forecasts. To access this setting, simply go to Data, Validation, and then the Error Alert tab.

There are three different styles to choose from: Stop, Warning, and Information. The default is the Stop style, which does not allow any values outside of the list to be entered. However, by choosing the Warning style, we can give our sales reps the option to continue and enter a new value if necessary. The Information style is the most lenient, simply alerting the user that they have entered a value outside of the list.

In this video, we also discuss the importance of choosing the right validation style for your specific needs. While the Information style may be too loose, the Stop style may be too restrictive. It's all about finding the balance that works best for your team. So next time you're setting up a drop-down list in Excel, remember to consider using indiscriminate validation to give your sales reps the flexibility they need while still maintaining control over the data. Thanks for watching and don't forget to tune in for more helpful tips and tricks from MrExcel!"

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction to Data Validation for Drop-Down Lists
(00:22) The Problem with Sending Out Incomplete Lists
(00:36) Configuring Validation to Allow Overrides
(00:49) Three Different Styles of Error Alerts
(01:05) Using the Information Style for Loose Validation
(01:42) Choosing the Best Style for Your Sales Reps
(02:06) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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Sometimes you want to have cell validation, but you need a way for the person using the spreadsheet to override the validation list, especially in the case where there is a brand new value that you have not yet added to the list. Episode 381 shows you how to have the Validation dropdown ease up.

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