In Microsoft Access databases, you can use the Yes/No data type to store a Boolean value, such as True or False, On or Off, Yes or No, and any field that contains only one of two values. This data type often maps to a Check Box control on a form or report.
Need an easy way to add checkbox-style yes/no selections to Excel cells? Using data validation dropdowns, you can create custom cells that allow users to simply click “yes” or “no” from a predefined list.
This tutorial will walk through the steps to make yes/no dropdowns in Excel for both Windows and Mac We’ll cover
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Enabling the data validation feature
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Setting cell restrictions
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Creating the yes/no list
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Configuring dropdown and error alert options
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Getting a “tick box” look with checkmarks (✓)
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Clearing and removing yes/no validations
So if you’re looking for an interactive way to add binary yes or no choices to your Excel worksheets, this guide has you covered!
Why Use Yes/No Dropdowns?
Here are some of the benefits of using data validation for yes and no selections:
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Provides clear binary choice for the user
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Prevents typos or invalid responses
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Dropdown arrow gives visual indicator there are options
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Can toggle on/off different validation settings
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Easy to apply to multiple cells quickly
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“Tick box” styling customizes look
Compared to checkboxes which actually insert images, data validation yes/no dropdowns have the perk of keeping your worksheet simple and lightweight.
How to Create a Yes/No Dropdown in Excel
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Select the cell(s) you want to contain the yes/no dropdown.
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On the Data tab, click Data Validation.
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In the Allow dropdown, select List.
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In the Source field, enter:
yes,no
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Check the boxes for In-cell dropdown and Ignore blank.
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Click OK.
This will make a dropdown arrow appear when you click the cell. Click it to choose yes or no from the list!
Now we’ll break down each step in more detail…
Enable Data Validation
First, you need to enable Excel’s data validation functionality. This is what will allow restricting a cell’s entries to a predefined list.
To access data validation:
1. Select the target cell(s) where you want the yes/no choices to appear. These can be single cells or ranges.
2. Go to the Data tab and click the Data Validation button.
The Data Validation window will open.
Set Restriction to List
In the Data Validation window, go to the Settings tab.
In the Allow dropdown menu, choose List.
This will let you specify a list of entries to restrict the cell to.
Enter Yes and No for Values
With List selected as the Allow restriction, now go to the Source field.
Here, enter:
yes,no
Make sure yes and no are lowercase, separated by a comma. This sets the list of permitted responses.
Configure Dropdown and Error Alerts
While still in the Data Validation window, configure these options:
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Check In-cell dropdown to show the dropdown arrow in the cell.
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Check Ignore blank so empty cells do not trigger an error.
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Set the Input Message, Error Alert, and Error Style as desired.
These options customize the data validation behavior.
Add Tick Box Formatting (Optional)
If you want your yes/no dropdown to have a “tick box” look, you can add checkmark characters that correspond to the selection:
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Select the yes/no cells.
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Go to Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
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Select Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
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Enter the formula:
=$A$1=”yes”
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Set Format values to the checkmark symbol.
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Repeat for no, using the “x” symbol.
Now the yes and no values will display checkmark or x icons!
Remove Yes/No Validation from Cells
To delete the yes/no dropdown options from a cell:
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Select the cell(s).
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Go to Data > Data Validation.
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Click Clear All.
The data validation rules will be removed completely.
Alternatively, toggle off the “In-cell dropdown” checkbox to just hide the dropdown arrow while keeping the yes/no restrictions intact.
And that’s all there is to it – hopefully this makes adding interactive yes or no choices much simpler in your Excel worksheets.
Delete a Yes/No field
Important When you delete a Yes/No field that contains data, you lose that data permanently — you cannot undo the deletion. For that reason, you should back up your database before you delete any table fields or other database components.
Add to an existing table
- Open the table in Datasheet View.
- If necessary, scroll horizontally to the first blank field.
- Select Click to Add and then select Yes/No from the list.
- Double-click the new header row, and then type a meaningful name for the new field.
- Save your changes.
Create Drop Down Yes No in Excel
How to create a yes / no drop-down list in Excel?
In this tutorial, I will show you two simple ways to quickly create a Yes / No drop-down list in Excel. The easiest way to create a Yes No drop-down list is to manually specify the values that you want will be shown in the dropdown in the data validation option.
How to add yes or no options in Excel?
Adding yes or no options in Excel can be a quick way to organize and analyze data. With a few simple steps, you can create a drop-down list that allows you to select “yes” or “no” for any cell in your spreadsheet. This is a handy tool for surveys, checklists, or any situation where a binary choice is needed.
How do I make a cell a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in Excel?
Select Options. Go to the Advanced tab in the Excel Options menu. Check or uncheck the Enable AutoComplete for cell values option in the Editing options section. Press the Ok button. When this setting is enabled, you will only need to type y or n and then press the Enter key to create your Yes or No value.
What is a yes or no column in Excel?
With binary data like Yes or No, it’s much easier to create graphs, perform calculations, and draw conclusions from your data. Excel itself offers many built-in tools that work well with this kind of data. Even for those who are not Excel experts, a Yes or No column is simple to understand and use.
