# Data validation and dropdowns

> Limit what can go in a range of cells: offer a dropdown list of choices, or allow only numbers in a range, and flag or reject entries that do not fit.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-data-validation
Section: Office > PlexiiSheets
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

Data validation keeps a column tidy. Give a Status column a dropdown of Open, In progress and Done, so everyone picks from the same three words. Or allow only numbers between 1 and 5 in a Rating column. Entries that do not fit are flagged, and can be refused as they are typed.

## Before you start

- **Plans.** Data validation is on every plan.
- **Select the cells first.** A rule applies to the range you have selected when you add it, such as **C2:C100**.

## Add a dropdown list

1. Select the cells, such as the Status column.
2. Click **Data validation for the selection** in the toolbar, or choose **Data** > **Data validation**. The **Data validation** window opens and shows the range it applies to.
3. Leave the first list on **List of items (dropdown)**.
4. Type the choices, separated by commas, for example `Open, In progress, Done`.
5. Leave **Reject invalid entries** ticked to refuse anything else, or untick it to allow other values but flag them.
6. Click **Add rule**.

Each cell in the range now has a small arrow at its bottom right corner. Click it and choose a value from the list.

## Allow only numbers

1. Select the cells.
2. Open **Data validation** as above.
3. Choose **Number** in the first list.
4. Choose a condition: **Greater than**, **Less than**, **Greater or equal**, **Less or equal**, **Equal to** or **Between**.
5. Type the value. For **Between**, type the lower value and then the upper one in **and**.
6. Choose whether to **Reject invalid entries**, then click **Add rule**.

## What happens to entries that do not fit

- **A small red corner** at the top right of a cell marks a value that does not fit its rule. Rest the pointer on it to see **Value does not match this cell's data validation**.
- **With Reject invalid entries ticked,** a value typed into the cell that does not fit is refused. The cell keeps what it had, and a line above the grid says the value is not allowed in that cell.
- **Empty cells are always allowed.** Validation controls what goes in a cell, not whether it is filled.

Values that were already in the cells are never changed by a rule; they are only flagged.

> **Note:**
> **Reject invalid entries** checks what you type into a cell. A value pasted in, or typed in the formula bar, is not refused, but it is still flagged with the red corner if it does not fit.

## See and remove rules

Open **Data validation** again. Under the form, each rule on the sheet is listed with its range and what it allows, marked **(strict)** if it rejects invalid entries. Click the bin (**Remove rule**) beside a rule to delete it.

If two rules cover the same cell, the one added last applies.

## Common questions

**The dropdown arrow does not appear.**
The arrow appears on cells covered by a **List of items (dropdown)** rule, and is hidden while you are typing in the cell. Check the rule's range in the **Data validation** window.

**Can I change a rule?**
Remove it and add a new one with the changes.

**Can I colour cells by their value instead?**
Yes. Use conditional formatting. See [Conditional formatting](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-conditional-formatting).

## Related tasks

- [Conditional formatting](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-conditional-formatting)
- [Format cells and numbers](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-format-cells)
- [Fill, copy and paste](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-fill-copy-paste)
- [Sort and filter](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-sort-and-filter)
- [PlexiiSheets overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/sheets-overview)