How to Create Dependent Drop-down Lists

Jon Acampora
November 18, 2014

Bottom line: Learn how to create dependent drop-down lists (also known as cascading
validation) in Excel. This technique does NOT require named ranges. If you dont mind using
named ranges then there are a few links at the bottom of the page with solutions that will be
easier to implement.

Skill level: Intermediate

Functions used: OFFSET, MATCH, COUNTA, COUNTIF, INDIRECT

What is a Dependent Drop-down List?

Leah asked the following question, How do I create a drop-down list where the list of choices
changes when I select an item in another list?

You can see an example of this in the screencast below. When I select Coffee from the
validation list in cell B4, the list in cell E4 displays different types of Coffee.
Click here to view the screencast animation in your browser.

When I select Wine from the list in cell B4, the list in cell E4 displays different types of Wine.

These are called dependent drop-down lists because the 2nd list depends on the choice made in
the first list. This technique requires the use of the OFFSET function to create the dependencies,
and its a great function to learn.

Step-by-Step Guide to Dependent Drop-down Lists

The rest of this article will explain how to create these dependent lists in your own workbook.
You can also download the example file to follow along, or just copy the sheets into your
workbook.

Dependent Dropdown Lists.xlsx (36.6 KB)

Dependent Dropdown Lists - 3 Lists.xlsx (37.6 KB)

Dependent Dropdown Lists Multiple Dependents.xlsx (37.3 KB)

Step 1: Prepare the Source Tables

The first step is to create the source tables that we will use for the contents of the drop-down
lists.
In the image above, the Lists sheet contains the lists for each drop-down. The list in column B
contains the Category items for the parent list. The parent list is the list where we will make the
first choice.

We then use the list in columns D:F on the Lists sheet to populate the child list with items. The
child list is the second list of choices that will be dependent on the selection in the parent list.

The first column in this table (column D) contains the Categories. These are the exact same
names that are in column B. The second column in the table (column E) contains the different
types for each category. This is where the relationship between the Category and Type are
created.

Its also important to note that the child list needs to be sorted for this technique to work. In
the image below you can see that I sorted column D so that all the Category items are grouped
together in the list.
How to Create the Lists
These lists originated from a much larger data table that contains transactional sales data. To
create the lists I needed to extract all the unique values for each list.

Fortunately, Excel has some great built-in tools that allow you to remove the duplicates.

One way is to use the Remove Duplicates tool that is located on the Data tab in the ribbon.
You could also create a pivot table to quickly list the unique values in the Rows area of the
pivot. Then copy/paste the results to the Lists sheet that contains the source tables.

I wont go into details on these techniques, but they will make it very fast to create and update
you dependent lists. If your lists change frequently with new items, then I would recommend the
pivot table method because you can simply refresh the pivot table to generate your new list.

Step 2: Create the Parent Drop-down List

Ok, now that we have the source data lists setup we can create the drop-down lists. We will do
this with in-cell data validation lists.
Dependent drop-down lists are not a built-in feature of Excel. Therefore, we need to get creative
with some functions and formulas to create the dynamic dependencies between the lists.

With cell B6 selected on the Dropdowns sheet, click the Data Validation button on the Data
tab of the ribbon.

The Data Validation window will appear.

1. First, choose List in the Allow drop-down list.

2. Then enter the OFFSET formula in the Source box (see explanation below).
3. Press OK.
We could put the following reference in as the Source: =Lists!B2:B4

However, we want the source list to be dynamic. Dynamic means that the list will
automatically expand as we add more items to it. We dont want to have to change the source
reference every time we add items to the list.

The OFFSET function helps create this dynamic range reference, and returns a reference to a
range of cells based on the coordinates you specify. It has the following arguments.

=OFFSET(reference, rows, columns, [height], [width])

Our Formula: =OFFSET(Lists!B1,1,0,COUNTA(Lists!B:B)-1,1)

Here is a quick explanation of each argument in the formula:

Reference Think of this as the cell that is the starting point for the range. In this case
we are starting in cell B1 on the Lists sheet.
Rows We actually want to move the starting point down to cell B2. The rows argument
allows us to specify how many rows down we should move (offset) the starting point. We
put a 1 for this argument to move the starting point down to cell B2.
Columns This argument would move the starting point to the right a specific number of
columns. In this case we want to stay in column B, so we leave this argument blank or
put 0 (zero).
Height This is the height of the range specified in number of rows. In this case we are
using the COUNTA function to count the number of rows that contain text in column B.
=COUNTA(Lists!B:B). This will return 4 since there are 4 rows with text in column B.
We subtract 1 because we dont want to include the header row in our list.
Width This is the width of the range specified by number of columns. Our range is
only 1 column wide (column B) so we put a 1 here.

You should now have a drop-down list in cell B6 that contains all the Category items in the list
on the Lists tab.

Excel Tables and the Structured Reference Alternative

If you are storing your lists in Excel Tables (which I highly recommend), then you could use the
following formula instead.

=INDIRECT(tblCategory[Category])

Since Table references expand and collapse automatically when rows are added/deleted, you do
not need to use the OFFSET function.

Step 3: Create the Child (Dependent) Drop-down List

We now need to create the child list, which is dependent on the selection of the parent list.
The OFFSET function can be used for this list as well. We just need to make a few adjustments
to make it dependent on the selection in the parent list.

Here is the formula for the child list:

=OFFSET(Lists!$D$1,MATCH(B6,Lists!$D:$D,0)-1,1,COUNTIF(Lists!$D:$D,B6),1)

Here is an explanation of each argument in the OFFSET formula:

 Reference Start in cell D1 on the Lists tab. This is the top left cell of the table that lists
the child items.
Rows Use the MATCH function to find the first row that matches the item selected in
the parent list. Cell B6 is the reference to the cell that contains the parent drop-down list.
This is basically a lookup function that returns the row number of the first matching
item. Subtract one to account for the header row.
Columns Specify a 1 to move one column to the right. The formula is going to find
the matching range in column D, then we have to move over one column to the right to
return the range of matching values in column E.
Height Use the COUNTIF function to count the number of occurrences of the parent
item in Cell B6, Coffee. This returns a 4, which means the range will be 4 rows high.
Width The range is one column wide (column E).

The child drop-down list in cell E6 should now be dependent on the selection made in cell B6 on
the Dropdowns sheet (parent list).

Excel Tables and the Structured Reference Alternative

As an alternative, you could use the structured reference formulas with the Excel Table names
instead of cell addresses. The Table formula would look like the following.

=OFFSET(INDIRECT(tblType[#Headers]),
MATCH(B11,INDIRECT(tblType[Category]),0), 1,
COUNTIF(INDIRECT(tblType[Category]),B11),1)

Its not as pretty because you have to add the INDIRECT function for each table reference.

Dependent Drop-downs WITHOUT Named Ranges

There are a few different ways to create dependent drop down lists in Excel. The main
advantage of this method is that it does NOT required the use of named ranges.

Named ranges are a great feature, but can be very confusing for some users. Therefore, I
recommend not using named ranges unless you are confident that all future users of your model
will understand them.

If you dont mind using named ranges then the following articles provide some awesome
tutorials on other ways to create the drop-downs.

Create Dependent Lists With INDEX by Roger Grovier at Contextures

Dependent Drop Down Lists from a Sorted List by Debra Degleish at Contextrures

Create Dependent Drop-down Lists with Conditional Data Validation & Slicers as an
Alternative to Conditional Drop Downs by Jeff Lenning at Excel University
 Great VBA & Non-VBA solutions by Jeff Weir and Roberto Mensa over at Chandoo.org

Download the Sample Workbook

You can download the sample workbook below to follow along, or simply copy the sheets into
your own workbook.

Dependent Dropdown Lists.xlsx (36.6 KB)

Dependent Dropdown Lists - 3 Lists.xlsx (37.6 KB)

Dependent Dropdown Lists Multiple Dependents.xlsx (37.3 KB)

Please leave a comment below with any questions or suggestions.

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Jon Acampora

Welcome to Excel Campus! I am excited you are here. My name is Jon and my goal is to help
you learn Excel to save time with your job and advance in your career. I've been an avid Excel
user and VBA developer for 10+ years. I am also a Microsoft MVP. I try to learn something new
everyday, and want to share this knowledge with you to help you improve your skills. When I'm
not looking at spreadsheets, I get outdoors and surf. :) more about me

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 52 comments

Ollie - July 7, 2016

Good article, is it possible to have 2 drop down lists with the same values, but when 1 value is
selected in the first list the second lists value updates as well?
Not sure if its completely clear but lets say I have a list of months as my range of data, I have a
cell that is a drop down list of the months and another cell that is also a dropdown list of the
months but on a different sheet, and Im asking if one can be selected and affect the other and if
its reversible. So I can choose the month in either cell and the other cell will update based on the
other one.

Reply

Jon Acampora - July 12, 2016

Hi Ollie,
That can be done with a very simple macro.

Range("A4").Value = Range("A1").Value

That line of code will need to be placed in the Worksheet_Change event macro for the
sheet that the drop-downs are on.

The Worksheet_Change event when run when any change is made in the worksheet, so
you might want to limit it to only the cells with the drop-down by using the Target cell
and Intersect method.

I hope that helps. Thanks!

Reply

Rodger - May 28, 2016

Jon,

Ive looked at the additional workbooks for the 3 lists, but feel my example doesnt fit.

Example.
Category: 1) Condo, 2) Apartment
Type 1: 1) Chicago, 2) NY, 3) LA
Type 2: 1) Company A, Company B, 3) Company C

In this particular example the 3 different companies may or may not have condos and apartments
and the three different cities.

Comparing the above to your beverage selection format, if the user selects Condo and
Chicago, how would the third selection know what company to go to? If searching for
Chicago it may show companies that have apartments in Chicago too. Or no? Id like to avoid
creating multiple tables for each scenario.

I came up with the below formula for the third drop-down but it differently has interesting
quirks: 1) when opening the workbook, the drop-down list only works after going into the data
validation formula and 2) when it does work, its slow at generating the drop-down list.

=OFFSET(Sheet1!$G$1,MATCH(C3&C5,Sheet1!$G:$G&Sheet1!$H:$H,0)-
1,2,COUNTIFS(Sheet1!$G:$G,C3,Sheet1!$H:$H,C5),1)
Thx

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 30, 2016

Hi Rodger,
Great question! It looks like you are on the right path with a multiple criteria lookup with
the Match function. Instead of concatenating the lookup values in the formula and using
an array formula, you might want to try doing the concatenation in another helper cell
and column in your tables. I will try to write up another solution on this in the future. It
would make for a great example. Thanks again!

Reply

Paul - May 20, 2016

Hi Jon,

Fantastic article this helped me out loads!

I have one question. I have a drop down box that returns either yes or no (C1), is it possible for
the next cell down to return a dependent list if C1 is selected yes, to return text of N/A if C1
was selected as no and to be blank if nothing is selcted in C1?

Thanks again!

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 21, 2016

 Thanks Paul! I think you would need a macro for that. You could have a formula that
returned the N/A or blank automatically, but the formula would be overridden when the
user made a selection from the drop-down. I will write up an article on the macro solution

when I get some time. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!

Reply

Jeremy - May 4, 2016

Jon,

Thank you very much for a very clear, and very helpful article.

I wonder if you might be able to help adapt your formulas for a problem Im having?

Im keeping an accounting spreadsheet for my business. The first sheet keeps records of all bank
transfers. Each transaction is detailed on a row, and the number of rows is of course ever
increasing with new transactions.

On each row I want to create a parent drop-down list to select a type of transfer (Income,
Overheads, Expenses, etc, etc), and then a child drop-down list to provide more detail for that
(e.g. if its an Expense travel, food, stationery, etc, etc).

Easy enough to do just the once, but essentially Id like to be able to copy and paste this across
each new row (or better yet, just set each of the columns with a single data validation formula),
without having to amend the child drop-down formula each time, so that its referencing the
correct, new parent drop-down list.

Hopefully that makes sense.. Can you think of a way to do this?

Thanks in advance!
Jez

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 7, 2016

Hi Jeremy,
Great question! You could use Power Query to create a table with a list of unique values
 from the data table. Once it is setup all you have to do is refresh the query to repopulate
the table with any new unique values. That table will be the source for the drop-downs
listed above. I dont have any tutorials on how to set that up yet, but will create
something in the future. I think there could be a lot of uses for this. Thanks!

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 7, 2016

Here is a video from my friend Mike Girvin on how to create the unique list for the drop
down list with Power Query.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ICk356kEZo

Reply

Nate O - April 5, 2016

Another killer post! Just used this and it was perfect! I had been trying a method with defined
ranges, but things got messy very quickly. The error checking feature was very helpful as well.
Thanks!

Reply

Manish kale - April 19, 2016

I used your offset formula in name manager but its shows only start 3 records.for
dependent list
can u please help us ASAP

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 7, 2016

Thanks Nate!

Reply
Anders - March 31, 2016

Hi Jon
I have a range of courses that should be prioritized. How can I make a drop down list for 2nd
prio etc. that excludes the already chosen courses?

Thanks for your advice

Anders

Reply

khushi - February 26, 2016

Hi. I need assistance to create 2 drop down lists with multiple choices selections on the same
sheet. They will have their own lists.

Reply

Uma Manickam - February 4, 2016

Hi,

Its very useful for me. Thanks a lot

Thanks,
Uma Manickam

Reply

Dan Rodriguez - January 29, 2016

THank you so much for sharing this tutorial! Made my day!!! I was looking everywhere and
trying so many dead end things on my own Thank you thank you!

Reply
 Jon Acampora - February 1, 2016

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know Dan. You made my day too!

Reply

Karl - January 7, 2016

Hi Jon,

Thanks for this. Just a quick question is it possible to create the drop down lists with a 1 to 4
relationship?

I.e. One parent list and 4 different child lists dependent on the parent?

How would i go about this if possible?

Reply

Jon Acampora - January 22, 2016

Hi Karl,

Great question! I added a new file in the download section above for multiple
dependents. The file includes a second drop-down that is dependent on the first.

You will basically create additional tables in with the relationships. So in this case I
created another drop-down for size. The size is dependent on the first drop-down
(Category: Coffee, Tea, Wine). There are different sizes available for each drink type
(Small, Medium, Large, etc.).

Once you have the table setup its just a matter of changing the formula to return values
from the new table. Its in column G:H on the Lists tab.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

 Reply

Jen - January 6, 2016

Is there a way to display multiple rows for each item in the 1st table. For example if coffee
regular was selected it can list 2 sugars 2 milk in a single column?

Reply

Jon Acampora - January 6, 2016

Hi Jen,
Im not sure I fully understand your question. Do you want formulas that return multiple
items in multiple cells based on what is selected in the drop downs?

Reply

jacob - March 8, 2016

HI JON, NOT SURE IF THATS WHAT THEY WERE ASKING BUT THAT IS A
QUESTION I HAVE. HOW CAN I INPUT A VARIABLE IN A CELL THAT
CHANGES DEPENDENT ON WHAT IS SELECTED IN A DROP DOWN
MENU THAT SAID FORMULA USES.

FOR EXAMPLE I NEED A FORMULA THAT CHANGES A VARIABLE

DEPENDENT ON IF A PERSON IS MALE OR FEMALE. (FOR
NUTRITIONAL CALORIC INTAKE PURPOSES) SO A PERSON WOULD
INPUT THEIR WEIGHT INTO CELL A, MALE OR FEMALE IN CELL B
AND A GOAL (WEIGHT LOSS, MAINTENANCE, OR GAIN) IN CELL C
AND THE OUT COME WOULD BE A TOTAL CALORIC NEED FOR SAID
PERSON.

Reply

Jon Acampora - March 16, 2016

 Hi Jacob,
I believe you could use a lookup formula like VLOOKUP for that. I
actually have an entire video series on the lookup formulas. Here is the
link to signup, its free.

http://www.excelcampus.com/lookup-formulas-free-training/

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Reply

Aryaman - December 4, 2015

Hi Jon,

You really made my life easy. Thanks a lot for your help. I have a problem here. I created a list
and a dependent list successfully as you have explained in your article. I have the Parent List
Category and the Child List Sub-category. I want that the field Sub-Category field should
be reset or go blank when I change my selection in the Category dropdown list. Please revert
as soon as possible.

Reply

hagit - October 30, 2015

excellent tuturial, thank you!!!

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 2, 2015

Thanks Hagit!

Reply

Sara - August 19, 2015

Hi This is great can you help how would I do a 3rd dropdown depending on the
selection of what you choose in the first 2 dropdowns for example 1st dropdown -coffee, tea,
Wine 2nd dropdown Regular,Deaf,Black, White 3rd dropdown if you choose coffee then
Black and then Sugar(3rd dropdown) if you choose coffee then White and then No Sugar( 3rd
dropdown) Thanks

Reply

Jon Acampora - August 22, 2015

Hi Sara,
Checkout the file named 3 Lists. It has an example of how to do this. Let me know if
you have any questions. Thanks!

Reply

Randy - July 26, 2015

Thanks for this! This is the first one Ive actually gotten to work. How do I now copy this
formula down a set of rows? Do I have to manually change the row number for each drop down
or is there another way to make it dynamic?

Thank you!

Reply

Jon Acampora - August 3, 2015

Hi Randy,
You should be able to copy the dependent cell down. Just make sure the lookup_value in
the Match function is NOT anchored. That means there should not be any dollar signs
before the row number.

In the following part of the formula make sure there are no dollar signs in front of the row
number: MATCH(B6,
 The reference will then be relative, and you should be able to copy down the cell that
contains the validation list.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Reply

Bastian - May 24, 2015

Thanks Jon!
This is working great for me. Is it possible to use above formulas also in userforms?

Reply

Jon Acampora - May 29, 2015

Hi Bastian,
Are you referring to the combobox form control that you put on a worksheet? Or
comboboxes in a userform? If its the form control then you will probably want to use
one of the named range methods to create the dependent lists. Here is a tutorial by Debra
Degleish at Contextrures on creating dependent comboboxes in userforms.

Reply

Brandi - April 30, 2015

I am trying to create dependent drop down lists. I have tried a number of different tutorials,
formulas and options and I am not sure where I am going wrong. I can get the first drop down
list no problem, but the second drop down list will not populate. It doesnt give me an error at all.
I have tried tutorials with their information and it has worked just fine, but it does not with my
information. So I am wondering if the data I am trying to use is the problem? A sample of my
data is below. Any feed back would be appreciated.

Division (my first drop down list)

Division 4
Division 5

Section 4 (correlates with Division 4)

Unit Masonry
Cast Stone Masonry
Section 5 (correlates with Division 5)
Structural Steel
Structural Steel Erection

Reply

Hamid - February 17, 2015

Hi Jon,

Amazing post. Thanks very much! It seems to be working for me, but what Im wondering about,
is what I need to do to make the above work for a third list which depends on the first and second
one? i.e. an additional level down the hierarchy.

Thanks!

Reply

Jon Acampora - February 18, 2015

Hi Hamid,

Thank you! Im glad you found it useful. I added a file to the downloads section above
that contains the 3rd list.

You basically just need to create another table that contains all your types from table 2.
These become your categories for table 3, and you can then add types for table 3 that
will be the options in your third drop-down list. The formula remains the same, it just
references the new table/list that contains the third set of options. Checkout the file and
let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks again!

Reply

Hamid - February 19, 2015

Thanks Jon! I had actually already created the same function, but its showing me
duplicates and not showing all values. Although correctly specified, the
COUNTIF isnt picking up entire range. Would I be able to send file to you?
 Thanks!

Reply

Jon Acampora - February 19, 2015

Yes, you can send it to jon@excelcampus.com. I will be happy to take a

look. Thanks

Reply

laci - February 2, 2015

Sorry I dont get it. Whats the use of it. You choose category ( coffee ,tee, etc) and the type, and
then what ?

Reply

Jon Acampora - February 3, 2015

Hi Laci,

This technique can be used when you want your user to make selections from two or
more lists. The selections might control what is displayed on a dashboard, run scenarios
for a sensitivity model, or simply do a vlookup based on multiple criteria.

The dependent drop down just means that the choices in the second list (drop down)
depend on what is selected in the first drop down. If the user chooses coffee in the first
drop down, then only types of coffee are going to be shown in the second drop down.

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks

Reply

Jeff Weir - November 20, 2014

Further to Bobs comment, I show how to set up dynamic cascading dropdowns that dont
require named ranges at the following links:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/13/dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-that-reset/
http://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/25/robust-dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-without-vba/

The first link has an optional bit of VBA to clear downstream dropdowns if the upstream one
changes.

The 2nd link accomplishes the same kind of thing, without VBA, by making it impossible to
clear upstream dropdowns until all downstream ones are cleared.

I have another approach up my sleeve that uses only formulas, and allows you to have non-
unique subcategories. Just need to write it up.

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 26, 2014

Thanks for sharing Jeff! I added your links to the article as well.

Reply

Livio - November 19, 2014

Following my previous, I am afraid to confirm you that in the web page of Chandoo there is an
example on the same thema more clear, easy and quick to apply than yours. Any case, thanks for
your effort. Regards, Livio

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 20, 2014

Hi Livio,

Im sorry you had trouble following the explanation. Thank you for letting me know. The
formulas are located behind the scenes as the source of the validation. Select cell E6, then
select the Data tab on the menu and click the Data Validation button. You will see the
formula in the source box.
 If you dont mind using named ranges then I agree that there are easier solutions to this
problem.

Thanks for your comment!

Reply

Livio - November 19, 2014

interesting application, but I am not able to reply in my spreadsheet. Not easy understand
application of OFFSET formula. The sample workbook to not show formulas in the cells; it was
a help to look the formula in a different excel language than english and check the formula into
the cartel. Please
Thanks

Reply

Frank - November 19, 2014

This technique does NOT require named ranges.

Maybe, there is even a technique that does NOT require Excel.

However, IMO using Excel tables with named ranges for dynamic data validation is superior to
producing Frankenformulas, and easier as well.

Anyway, your faked dropdowns are gorgious!

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 20, 2014

Hi Frank,

Yes, I completely agree. I will make it more clear that this technique is for those that do
not want to use named ranges. Depending on the user of the model, I tend to avoid named
ranges because they can be confusing for users that have not learned them yet.
 My next post will explain how to create the fake drop-downs. Im sure youve already

figured it out

Thanks again!

Reply

Jeff Weir - November 19, 2014

which youll find at these links:

http://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/13/dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-that-reset/
http://chandoo.org/wp/2014/02/25/robust-dynamic-cascading-dropdowns-without-vba/

Whoever wrote those is a freakin genius.

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 20, 2014

Hi Jeff,

Im guessing you left another comment and it did not come through. Ive been having
issues with comments in the latest version of wordpress

Thank you for the links. I will add those to the links in the article. This solution was
meant for those that do not want to use named ranges or VBA.

Using named ranges definitely makes this process much easier. I tend to avoid using
named ranges because most users are not familiar with them, and they can be confusing
for some.

Thanks again Jeff!

Reply

Leonid Koyfman - November 18, 2014

Another option to deal with the problem that Bob described (and its a compromise, not a real
solution) is to conditionally format fill for Decaf to red based on the formula using COUNTIF of
selected value in the list of Wine sub-data. If its 0 make fill Red and it will tell the user to make
a valid selection.

Reply

Jon Acampora - November 20, 2014

Hi Leonid,

That is a great suggestion! I updated the file to include that check. It basically uses the
same OFFSET formula as the child list, with a COUNTIF to check if the parent and child
items are related.

I agree that it is a compromise. This example is meant for those that cant use macros and
want to avoid named ranges. Thanks again for the tip!

Reply

Bob Umlas - November 18, 2014

Once you choose Coffee, for example, then choose Decaf, if you then change the Coffee choice
to Wine, the Decaf still shows in the sub-data validation. I suggest this be an xlsm and whenever
the 1st choice changes, the sub-choice should be cleared.
Bob Umlas, Excel MVP

Reply
Jon Acampora - November 20, 2014

Hi Bob,

Sorry to not get back to you all sooner. For some reason I was not receiving comment
notifications.

This is a great point! This solution is meant for those that cant use macros, and want to
avoid named ranges. Ill be the first to admit that there are much better ways to do this if
you can use either VBA or named ranges. I will make that more clear in the opening
paragraph, as I dont want to waste anyones time.

Leonid, has a great suggestion and I will update the file with a formula to validate the
second entry.

Thanks for stopping by Bob!

Jon