Topic 2: What is data validation in Excel?

Excel Data Validation is a feature that restricts (validates) user input to a worksheet. Technically, you
create a validation rule that controls what kind of data can be entered into a certain cell.

Here are just a few examples of what Excel's data validation can do:

 Allow only numeric or text values in a cell.

 Allow only numbers within a specified range.
 Allow data entries of a specific
 Restrict dates and times outside a given time frame.
 Restrict entries to a selection from a drop-down list.
 Validate an entry based on another cell.
 Show an input message when the user selects a cell.
 Show a warning message when incorrect data has been entered.
 Find incorrect entries in validated cells.

For instance, you can set up a rule that limits data entry to 4-digit numbers between 1000 and 9999. If
the user types something different, Excel will show an error alert explaining what they have done wrong:

How to do data validation in Excel

To add data validation in Excel, perform the following steps.

1. Open the Data Validation dialog box

Select one or more cells to validate, go to the Data tab > Data Tools group, and click the Data
Validation button.

You can also open the Data Validation dialog box by pressing Alt > D > L, with each key pressed
separately.

2. Create an Excel validation rule

On the Settings tab, define the validation criteria according to your needs. In the criteria, you can supply
any of the following:

 Values - type numbers in the criteria boxes like shown in the screenshot below.
 Cell references - make a rule based on a value or formula in another cell.
 Formulas - allow to express more complex conditions like in this example.
 As an example, let's make a rule that restricts users to entering a whole number between 1000 and 9999:

With the validation rule configured, either click OK to close the Data Validation window or switch to
another tab to add an input message or/and error alert.

3. Add an input message (optional)

If you want to display a message that explains to the user what data is allowed in a given cell, open
the Input Message tab and do the following:

 Make sure the Show input message when cell is selected box is checked.
 Enter the title and text of your message into the corresponding fields.
 Click OK to close the dialog window.

As soon as the user selects the validated cell, the following message will show up:
 4. Display an error alert (optional)

In addition to the input message, you can show one of the following error alerts when invalid data is
entered in a cell.

Alert type Description

Stop (default)

The strictest alert type that prevents users from entering invalid data.

You click Retry to type a different value or Cancel to remove the entry.

Warning

Warns users that the data is invalid, but does not prevent entering it.

You click Yes to input the invalid entry, No to edit it, or Cancel to remove the entry.

Information

The most permissive alert type that only informs users about an invalid data entry.

You click OK to enter the invalid value or Cancel to remove it from the cell.

To configure a custom error message, go to the Error Alert tab and define the following parameters:

 Check the Show error alert after invalid data is entered box (usually selected by default).
 In the Style box, select the desired alert type.
 Enter the title and text of the error message into the corresponding boxes.
 Click OK.
 And now, if the user enters invalid data, Excel will display a special alert explaining the error (like shown
in the beginning of this tutorial).

Note. If you do not type your own message, the default Stop alert with the following text will show
up: This value does not match the data validation restrictions defined for this cell.

Excel data validation examples

When adding a data validation rule in Excel, you can choose one of the predefined settings or specify
custom criteria based on your own validation formula. Below we will discuss each of the built-in options,
and next week we will have a closer look at Excel data validation formulas in a separate tutorial.

As you already know, the validation criteria are defined on the Settings tab of the Data Validation dialog
box (Data tab > Data Validation).

Whole numbers and decimals

To restrict data entry to a whole number or decimal, select the corresponding item in the Allow box.
And then, choose one of the following criteria in the Data box:

 Equal to or not equal to the specified number

 Greater than or less than the specified number
 Between the two numbers or not between to exclude that range of numbers

For example, this is how you create an Excel validation rule that allows any whole number greater than 0:

Date and time validation in Excel

To validate dates, select Date in the Allow box, and then pick an appropriate criteria in the Data box.
There are quite a lot of predefined options to choose from: allow only dates between two dates, equal to,
greater than or less than a specific date, and more.

Similarly, to validate times, select Time in the Allow box, and then define the required criteria.

For example, to allow only dates between Start date in B1 and End date in B2, apply this Excel date
validation rule:
 To validate entries based on today's data and current time, make your own data validation formulas as
shown in these examples:

 Validate dates based on today's date

 Validate times based on current time

Text length

To allow data entry of a specific length, select Text length in the Allow box, and choose the validation
criteria in accordance with your business logic.

For example, to limit the input to 10 characters, create this rule:

Note. The Text length option limits the number of characters but not the data type, meaning the above
rule will allow both text and numbers under 10 characters or 10 digits, respectively.

Excel data validation list (drop-down)

To add a drop-down list of items to a cell or a group of cells, select the target cells and do the following:

1. Open the Data Validation dialog box (Data tab > Data Validation).
2. On the Settings tab, select List in the Allow
3. In the Source box, type the items of your Excel validation list, separated by commas. For example, to
limit the user input to three choices, type Yes, No, N/A.
 4. Make sure the In-cell dropdown box is selected in order for the drop-down arrow to appear next to
the cell.
5. Click OK.

The resulting Excel data validation list will look similar to this:

Note. Please be careful with the Ignore blank option, which is selected by default. If you are creating a
drop-down list based on a named range that has at least one blank cell, selecting this check box allows
entering any value in the validated cell. In many situations, it is also true for validation formulas: if a cell
referenced in the formula is blank, any value will be allowed in the validated cell.

Other ways to create a data validation list in Excel

Supplying comma-separated lists directly in the Source box is the fastest way that works well for small
dropdowns that are unlikely to ever change. In other scenarios, you can proceed with one of the following
ways:

 Create a data validation list from a range of cells.

 Make a dynamic data validation list based on a named range.
 Create an Excel data validation list from table. The best thing is that a table-based dropdown is dynamic
by nature and updates automatically as you add or remove items from the table.

Custom data validation rules

In addition to built-in Excel data validation rules discussed in this tutorial, you can create custom
rules with your own data validation formulas. Here are just a few examples:

 Allow numbers only

 Allow text only
 Allow text beginning with specific characters
 Allow only unique entries and disallow duplicates

For more examples, please see Custom data validation rules and formulas.

How to edit data validation in Excel

To change an Excel validation rule, perform these steps:

1. Select any of the validated cells.

2. Open the Data Validation dialog box (Data tab > Data Validation).
3. Make the required changes.
4. Select the Apply these changes to all other cells with the same settings check box to copy the
changes you've made to all other cells with the original validation criteria.
5. Click OK to save the changes.

For instance, you can edit your Excel data validation list by adding or removing items from
the Source box, and have these changes applied to all other cells containing the same drop-down list:

How to copy Excel data validation rule to other cells

If you created a validation rule for one cell and wish to validate other cells with the same criteria at a later
point, you don't have to re-create the rule from scratch.

To copy the validation rule in Excel, perform these 4 quick steps:

1. Select the cell to which the validation rule applies and press Ctrl + C to copy it.
2. Select other cells you want to validate. To select non-adjacent cells, press and hold the Ctrl key while
selecting the cells.
3. Right-click the selection, click Paste Special, and select Validation from the context menu.
Alternatively, press the Paste Special > Validation shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + V, then N.
4. Click OK.

Tip. Instead of copying data validation to other cells, you can convert your dataset to an Excel table. As
you add more rows to the table, Excel will apply your validation rule to new rows automatically.
How to find cells with data validation in Excel

To quickly locate all validated cells in the current worksheet, go to the Home tab > Editing group, and
click Find & Select > Data Validation:

This will select all cells that have any data validation rules applied to them:

How to remove data validation in Excel

Overall, there are two ways to remove validation in Excel: the standard approach designed by Microsoft
and the mouse-free technique devised by Excel geeks who would never take their hands off the keyboard
unless absolutely necessary (e.g. to take a cup of coffee :)

Method 1: Regular way to remove data validation

Normally, to remove data validation in Excel worksheets, you proceed with these steps:

1. Select the cell(s) with data validation.

2. On the Data tab, click the Data Validation button.
3. On the Settings tab, click the Clear All button, and then click OK.
Tips:
1. To remove data validation from all cells on the current sheet, use the Find & Select feature to select
all of the validated cells.
2. To remove a certain data validation rule, select any cell with that rule, open the Data
Validation dialog window, check the Apply these changes to all other cells with the same settings box,
and then click the Clear All button.

As you see, the standard method is pretty fast but does require a few mouse clicks, no big deal as far as
I'm concerned. But if you prefer working with the keyboard over a mouse, you may find the following
approach appealing.

Method 2: Paste Special to delete data validation rules

De jure, Excel Paste Special is designed for pasting specific elements of copied cells. De facto, it can do
many more useful things. Among others, it can quickly remove data validation rules in a worksheet.
Here's how:

1. Select an empty cell without data validation, and press Ctrl + C to copy it.
2. Select the cells(s) from which you want to remove data validation.
3. Press Ctrl + Alt + V, then N, which is the shortcut for Paste Special > Data Validation.
4. Press Enter. Done!

Excel data validation tips

Now that you know the basics of data validation in Excel, let me share a few tips that can make your rules
a whole lot more effective.

Excel data validation based on another cell

Instead of typing values directly in the criteria boxes, you can enter them in some cells, and then refer to
those cells. If you decide to change the validation conditions later, you will simply type new numbers on
the sheet, without having to edit the rule.

To enter a cell reference, either type it in the box preceded by an equal sign, or click the arrow next to
the box, and then select the cell using the mouse. You can also click anywhere within the box, and then
select the cell on the sheet.

For example, to allow any whole number other than the number in A1, pick the not equal to criteria in
the Data box and type =$A$1 in the Value box:

To take a step further, you can enter a formula in the referenced cell, and have Excel validate the input
based on that formula.
For example, to restrict users to entering dates after today's date, enter the =TODAY() formula in some
cell, say B1, and then set up a Date validation rule based on that cell:

Or, you can enter the =TODAY() formula directly in the Start date box, which will have the same effect.

Formula-based validation rules

In situations when it's not possible to define a desired validation criteria based on a value or cell
reference, you can express it using a formula.

For example, to limit the entry to the minimum and maximum values in the existing list of numbers, say
A1:A10, use the following formulas:

=MIN($A$1:$A$10)

=MAX($A$1:$A$10)

Please pay attention that we lock the range by using the $ sign (absolute cell references) so that our Excel
validation rule works correctly for all selected cells.

How to find invalid data on the sheet

Although Microsoft Excel allows applying data validation to cells that already have data in them, it won't
notify you if some of the existing values do not meet the validation criteria.
To find invalid data that had made its way into your worksheets before you added data validation, go to
the Data tab, and click Data Validation > Circle Invalid Data.

This will highlight all cells that don't meet the validation criteria:

As soon as you correct an invalid entry, the circle will be gone automatically. To remove all circles, go to
the Data tab, and click Data Validation > Clear Validation Circles.

How to protect a worksheet with data validation

In case you'd like to protect worksheet or workbook with password, configure the desired data validation
settings first, and then protect the sheet. It is important that you unlock validated cells prior to
protecting the worksheet, otherwise your users won't be able to enter any data in those cells. For the
detailed guidelines, please see How to unlock certain cells on a protected sheet.

How to share a workbook with data validation

To allow multiple users to collaborate on the workbook, be sure to share the workbook after you have
done data validation. After sharing the workbook your data validation rules will keep working, but you
won't be able to change them, nor to add new rules.

Excel Data Validation not working

If data validation isn't working properly in your worksheets, it's most likely because of one of the
following reasons.

Data validation does not work for copied data

Data validation in Excel is designed to prohibit typing invalid data directly in a cell, but it cannot stop
users from copying invalid data. Though there is no way to disable copy/paste shortcuts (other than by
using VBA), you can at least prevent copying data by dragging and dropping cells. To do this, go
to File > Options > Advanced > Editing options, and clear the Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-
 drop check box.

Excel data validation is unavailable when in cell edit mode

The Data Validation command is unavailable (greyed out) if you are entering or changing data in a cell.
After you've finished editing the cell, press Enter or Esc to quit the edit mode, and then do data validation.

Data validation cannot be applied to a protected or shared workbook

Although the existing validation rules keep working in protected and shared workbooks, it's not possible
to change data validation settings or set up new rules. To do this, unshare and/or unprotect your
workbook first.

Incorrect data validation formulas

When doing formula-based data validation in Excel, there are three important things to check:

 A validation formula does not return errors.

 A formula does not reference empty cells.
 Appropriate cell references are used.