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Cell references - make a rule based on a value or formula in another cell.Values - type numbers in the criteria boxes like shown in the screenshot below.In the criteria, you can supply any of the following: On the Settings tab, define the validation criteria according to your needs. You can also open the Data Validation dialog box by pressing Alt > D > L, with each key pressed separately. Select one or more cells to validate, go to the Data tab > Data Tools group, and click the Data Validation button. To add data validation in Excel, perform the following steps. If the user types something different, Excel will show an error alert explaining what they have done wrong: Find incorrect entries in validated cells.įor instance, you can set up a rule that limits data entry to 4-digit numbers between 10.Show a warning message when incorrect data has been entered.Show an input message when the user selects a cell.Validate an entry based on another cell.Restrict entries to a selection from a drop-down list.Restrict dates and times outside a given range.Allow data entries of a specific length.Allow only numbers within a specified range.Allow only numeric or text values in a cell.Here are just a few examples of what Excel's data validation can do: Technically, you create a validation rule that controls what kind of data can be entered into a certain cell.
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How to use data validation in Excel - tips & tricksĮxcel Data Validation is a feature that restricts (validates) user input to a worksheet.How to copy Excel validation settings to other cells.Excel Data Validation allows you to do all these things in all versions of Microsoft Excel 365, 2019, 2016, 20013, 2010 and lower. You may even want to provide a predefined list of acceptable entries to eliminate possible mistakes. Among other things, you may want to allow only particular data type such as numbers or dates in a cell, or limit numbers to a certain range and text to a given length. When setting up a workbook for your users, you may often want to control information input into specific cells to make sure all data entries are accurate and consistent. The tutorial explains how to do Data Validation in Excel: create a validation rule for numbers, dates or text values, make data validation lists, copy data validation to other cells, find invalid entries, fix and remove data validation.
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