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Lesson 18 of 104 3 min Updated Completed

How to Create a Custom List in Excel

AutoFill already knows some lists, such as months and days of the week. A custom list teaches Excel your own, for example team members, products or regions, so you can fill them in by dragging.

See a built-in list

  1. Type Jan in cell B2.

    The text Jan typed in cell B2

  2. Select B2 and drag the fill handle to the right, to J2.

    AutoFill filling in the months to the right

Excel fills in the months from a list it already has. Here’s where that list lives:

  1. Click File > Options > Advanced.

  2. Scroll down to the General section and click Edit Custom Lists.

    The Edit Custom Lists button in Excel Options

You’ll see Excel’s built-in lists.

Create your own list

  1. In the List entries box, type your entries, one per line, then click Add.

    Typing new list entries and clicking Add

  2. Click OK twice to close the windows.

  3. Type the first entry of your list, here Addison, in cell B2.

    Typing the first entry of the custom list in B2

  4. Select B2 and drag the fill handle down to B8.

    AutoFill filling in the custom list

Result: Excel fills in your list. It’s saved with Excel, so you can use it in any sheet or workbook.

Tip: If the list is already typed somewhere in a sheet, use the Import box in the same window to add it without retyping.