How to Make Multiple Selection in Dropdown in Google Sheets

In this tutorial, you will learn how to make multiple selections in a drop-down list in Google Sheets

How to Make Multiple Selection in Dropdown in Google Sheets

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Google Sheets makes it easy to create dropdown menus in your cells. This can be a great way to make your data more interactive, and allow your users to make choices without having to edit the underlying data.

One limitation of the dropdown menu is that it only allows you to make one selection at a time. However, there is a workaround that allows you to make multiple selections in a dropdown menu using Google Apps Script.

In this guide, we will show you how to make multiple selections in a dropdown menu in Google Sheets using custom Google Apps Script code.

How to Select Multiple Options in a Dropdown List in Google Sheets

Here’s how to select multiple options in a dropdown list on Google Sheets.

Step 1

First, select the cell where you want to place a drop-down list.

Step 2

Select the Data validation option under the Data menu.

Select the Dropdown (from a range) option as the criteria and provide the cell range with the list of desired options.

Step 3

You should now have a drop-down list populated with your options. However, the drop-down list only allows you to select a single option.

Step 4

We can allow multiple selections in a drop-down list through custom Apps Script code. Click on the Apps Script option found under the Extensions menu.

Step 5

Next, you’ll need to add custom code to the Apps Script project. Ensure you are in the Code.gs file and paste the following script:

function onEdit(e) {
  var oldValue;
  var newValue;
  var ss=SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var activeCell = ss.getActiveCell();
  if(activeCell.getColumn() == 4 && activeCell.getRow() == 1 && ss.getActiveSheet().getName()=="Sheet1") {
    newValue=e.value;
    oldValue=e.oldValue;
    if(!e.value) {
      activeCell.setValue("");
    } 
    else {
      if (!e.oldValue) {
        activeCell.setValue(newValue);
      }
      else {
        activeCell.setValue(oldValue+', '+newValue);
      }
    }
  }
}

In the Apps Script editor it should look like this:

Ensure that the sixth line in the code refers to the cell with the drop-down list.

The code checks the active cell in the spreadsheet. If the cell is in column 4, row 1, (D1) and on the sheet named “Sheet1”, the code will execute. If there is no value in the cell, the cell will be cleared. If there is a value in the cell, the new value will be appended to the old value, separated by a comma.