Combo Box in Excel with Form Control

A Combo Box in Excel is a drop-down list, you can select a value from the list. There are multiple ways you can add a combo box in excel. This post describes one of the methods to add a combo box using form control in excel.

The values of a combo box are listed from a range of cells in an Excel spreadsheet. These values could be in the same sheet or other sheets. Assume you have a list of country names in column C (as in img1). Which needs to be displayed in your Combo Box.

Combo Box (Form Control)

To add a combo box in cell E2, which lists the country names from range “C2:C11”.

  1. Add the text “Select Country:” in cell E1 and adjust the cell width. – It describes to the user the purpose of this Combo Box
  2. Select the cell E2
  1. In the Excel Ribbon, Go to Developer
  2. Press Insert then Select Combo Box (Form Control)
  1. Your cursor turned into a little cross, move the cursor and press where you need to place the combo box.
  1. Adjust the height and width of the combo box by dragging the small circle

Now you added a combo box control in your excel sheet. Need to add the list “Input range” to your combo box also select a cell “Cell link” to display the selected item in the Format Control dialog box.

  1. Mouse over your Combo Box and right-click
  2. Choose Format Control – to popup Format Control Dialog box
Combo Box (Form Control)
  1. Go to the Control tab.
  2. Type “C2:C11” in the Input range
  3. Type “E4” in the Cell link input box.
  4. Press “OK”

Now you added a combo box in your worksheet and linked the input list to display the selected value. You can select a country from your combo box list item. The index of the selected value will return in cell “E4”.

The final output of your worksheet with the combo box looks like the below image.

Combo Box (Form Control)

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