Working with dropdown lists in Excel is a convenient way to standardize data entry. However, you might run into a frustrating issue where your dropdown options, instead of appearing vertically (one underneath the other), appear on the same row. This can make the list difficult to read and use. So how do you fix the situation where the Excel dropdown list is on one line only.
Table of contents
YouTube: Excel Dropdown List on One Line Only
Identifying the Problem
The issue often arises from how list separators are configured in Excel. In the image below, you can see that the dropdown options are displayed on the same line. On this computer, commas are used to separate list items, so the problem is likely due to an incorrect separator being used in the Data Validation settings.
Correcting the Separator
If you encounter this issue, the first step is to identify the separator your version of Excel is using and replace the incorrect one. To do this, go to the Data tab and click on Data Validation. In the Source field of the Data Validation dialog box, check how your list items are separated. In the image below, you’ll see that a semicolon was used, which is the incorrect separator for this computer. We replaced the semicolon with a comma and clicked OK.
After making these change, the dropdown options now appear vertically, making it much easier to select the correct option
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Check Regional Settings: If you’re unsure which separator to use, check your computer’s regional settings. This will tell you whether your system prefers commas or semicolons for list separation.
- Recreate the List: If the problem persists, recreate the list in a new cell range using the correct separator from the start. This might resolve any hidden issues in the original setup.