Identify your Excel data as a list

Identify your data as a list in Excel so that you can get automatic subtotals and dynamically expand your list.


Here are the steps to follow in this video lesson:

  1. Select one cell in your data and then click Data, List, Create List. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+L.
  2. Verify that Excel has identified the range of cells for your list and click OK.
  3. Notice that Excel has drawn a blue border around your list; added drop-down filter menu arrows; and added a floating List Toolbar.
  4. Scroll down to see that there is an * in the 1st blank row beneath your last record in the list. You can add additional records here and Excel expands your list dynamically.
  5. You can also add a new column / field and your list expands to include it.
  6. The Toggle Total Rows button adds an AutoSum to the last column. You can change the Function that it uses by clicking the drop down arrow next to any cell in the Total row.
  7. You can have multiple “lists” in the same worksheet when you identify your data as a list.

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