Google Docs is a fantastic online word processor, and it's easy to streamline repetitive tasks using dropdowns. With a few helpful tips, you'll be able to take advantage of this powerful feature in your documents.

Custom Google dropdown menus are available for Docs and Sheets to speed up your workflow and reduce errors. Read on to find out what a dropdown menu is, why you should use this feature, and how to add time-saving dropdowns to your Google Docs and Sheets.

What is a dropdown menu?

A dropdown is the sort of menu you see at the top of Google Docs and in the toolbar. For example, the File, Edit, and View menus are dropdowns.

The toolbar's zoom, style, and font controls are also dropdowns, even though they look different. For any dropdown, the operation is simple. Click it to open the menu, then click the option you want.

Why should I use dropdowns?

There are several good reasons to use dropdowns. This handy control improves speed and accuracy while making data more accessible.

A dropdown eliminates typing since you only need two mouse clicks to enter information. That makes writing repetitive letters in Google Docs or filling out tables in Google Sheets faster than typing everything out.

Some people have trouble typing on a smartphone, even if it's a big Google Pixel 7 Pro, so dropdown menus are particularly helpful when writing or entering data on the small touchscreen of a mobile device.

Dropdowns also eliminate typos and make accuracy much better. If the dropdown is filled out correctly, it results in correct spelling and uses perfect grammar for that portion of your document every time.

Finally, a dropdown removes the need to memorize data. A long list of product numbers can be placed in a dropdown to make that information instantly accessible without checking against a product list.

How to add a dropdown in Google Docs

Dropdown menus can be added to a Google Docs document with two clicks. Place your text cursor wherever you'd like the dropdown to appear.

You can use dropdown menus on your smartphone. However, you can't insert one from the Google Docs app. You need a desktop browser.

You can place a dropdown at the start of a new line or within a sentence. You can even use dropdowns in headers and footers.

Click Insert from the top of the Google Docs page or type the at symbol "@" and choose Dropdown from the context menu. Google added a couple of Preset Dropdowns, and you can select Project status or Review status if those are what you want.

If any other dropdowns have been defined, they'll also appear in the menu. You can hover your mouse pointer over any dropdown to see its options.

How to create a new dropdown in Docs

If presets and predefined dropdowns don't suit your need, you can quickly create your own if you can access a desktop browser.

1. Open the Insert menu at the top of Google Docs.
2. Select New dropdown from the list.

   

3. Enter a Template name to clarify the use of this menu.
4. Fill in two or more options for quick selection later.
5. Delete any unused options by clicking the trashcan button at the right.

   

6. Click the gray circle to the left of each option to pick colors if you'd like.
7. Drag the six dots at the far left of any option to rearrange the order.
8. Click New option to add more.

   

Adding color to dropdowns helps the user distinguish between each option, adding another visual cue that something can be changed and alerting the user to its current state.

How to add a dropdown in Google Sheets

Google Sheets is surprisingly powerful for an online spreadsheet. There are several ways to add a dropdown in Google Sheets. The most obvious is the Insert menu, but you can also right-click any cell or type the at symbol "@" and choose Dropdown from the context menu. Dropdown is also an option in Data validation, but it takes longer to add it this way. Let's choose the easiest option.

1. Select a cell or range you want to fill with dropdown menus.
2. Right-click and choose Dropdown from the context menu. You might need to scroll down to see this option near the bottom.

   

3. In the Data validation rules panel at the right, fill in names for two or more options.
4. Choose a color for each option if you'd like.

   

5. Drag the handle that looks like a group of dots at the left to rearrange the order.
6. Click the trashcan to delete any option.
7. Select Add another item to add items to the dropdown list.

   

8. Click the green Done button to add a simple dropdown menu to all the selected cells.

Data validation is the only way to add dropdowns from a smartphone, and it's only available on the Android app.

Make dropdowns from a data range

Google Sheets offers other options for dropdowns. Most notably, you can make a dropdown that fills in the options from a data range in your sheet.

1. Choose Dropdown (from a range) in the Criteria section.
2. Click the grid button at the right and select the range that contains a list of options.
3. Choose colors for each to help each item stand out.

   

If you have named ranges in a sheet, you can type the name instead of selecting a range with the options.

Advanced options for Sheets dropdowns

For a more refined dropdown, click Advanced options to reveal additional customizations.

If you check the box beside Show help text for a selected cell, you can type in a prompt to assist users.

There's a data validation control with a choice to show a warning or reject input when the entered data isn't found in the list of acceptable options.

The final advanced option is Display style. The default is a Chip, which has rounded ends and an arrow.

The Arrow option is a cleaner look that only adds a downward arrow to the right side of cells.

The Plain text option gives no visual cue that this is a dropdown and requires a double click to open the menu.

Google Docs dropdowns make data entry easier

It takes only seconds to create a dropdown, and you'll benefit every time you use it. Instead of memorizing data, you can pick it from a list. No need to worry about typos when choosing from a menu of options. Even if you use Grammarly in Docs, it might not recognize some words specific to your work. Dropdowns are a great convenience feature in Google Docs and Google Sheets.