Excel Custom Lists

Excel custom lists can be used to fill or sort data within the defined order.  By default, Excel provides s few built-in lists – Day of the Week and Day of the Month.  You can also create your own custom lists.

Below are the step by step instructions for working with Excel Custom Lists, including Creating. Deleting and Using Custom Lists.

Creating Excel Custom Lists Using the Options Feature

1. Navigate to backstage within Excel by clicking on the File tab.
2. Click Options and then click Advanced.
3. From the Advanced Options, scroll down to the General settings and click the Edit Custom Lists button.
4. This will open the Custom Lists dialog box. Click NEW LIST under the Custom Lists: column.
5. Once you click NEW LIST, your cursor will move to the List entries: column. From here, enter the first list item.
6. Once you have added the entry, press Enter.
7. Continue added your entries and pressing Enter after each one.
8. Once you have your list completed, click the Add button.
9. Your list is now added to the Custom Lists. Click OK to accept the custom list.
10. Click OK once more to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Creating Excel Custom Lists Using a Range of Cells

1. Highlight the range of cells containing the custom list you wish to add.
2. Navigate to backstage within Excel by clicking on the File tab.
3. Click Options and then click Advanced.
4. From the Advanced Options, scroll down to the General settings and click the Edit Custom Lists button.
5. This will open the Custom Lists dialog box. Verify the cell range noted in the Import list from cells box is the range you had previously highlighted.  Once verified, click the Import button.
6. Once you click Import, your new list is added to the Custom lists.  Click OK to accept the custom list.
7. Click OK once more to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Deleting Excel Custom Lists

1. Navigate to backstage within Excel by clicking on the File tab.
2. Click Options and then click Advanced.
3. From the Advanced Options, scroll down to the General settings and click the Edit Custom Lists button.
4. This will open the Custom Lists dialog box. Highlight the custom list you wish to delete and click Delete.
5. A Microsoft Excel dialog box will open, confirming the List will be permanently deleted. Click OK to permanently delete the highlighted custom list.
6. Once you click OK, the custom list will be removed. Click OK to accept the deletion of the custom list.
7. Click OK once more to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Using Excel Custom Lists within Spreadsheets

1. Type the first entry from the custom list.
2. Using the left mouse button, drag the bottom right corner of the cell down through the range of cells you wish to all the custom list to.
3. Once you reach the end of the needed range, release the mouse button. The custom list is now added to the range.