What you will build

Turn the Status column into dropdown chips so each project row uses only Done, Working, or Planned while the Task data stays unchanged.

Learning objectives

Open the practice workbook

HANDS-ON PRACTICE

Practice in your own copy

Make your own Google Sheets copy with the same data, formulas, formatting, filter and frozen header. The original remains unchanged.

Make a Google Sheets copy (access required) ↗View original

Sign in to Google. If the original is not publicly shared, download the full workbook and import it into Google Sheets, or paste the example data into your own sheet.

The complete Task and Status source table before the dropdown rule is created.

Hands-on practice

Step 1: Select B2:B4 in the Status column. Do not include B1, so the Status header does not become a dropdown.

B2:B4 in the Status column is selected without the B1 header cell.

Step 2: Open Data > Data validation. In the Data validation rules sidebar, choose Add rule. For Criteria, choose Dropdown and set the three options to Done, Working, and Planned; the apply-to range must be B2:B4. Then confirm the rule.

The Data menu is open with the pointer directly on Data validation.
The Data validation rules sidebar is open with Add rule clearly visible.
The dropdown rule editor shows the apply-to range and the valid options.

Step 3: Open the dropdown in one cell in B2:B4 and choose an allowed status once. Confirm that only Done, Working, and Planned are available, then restore the original sample value if you changed it.

The dropdown in a target Status cell is open so the allowed choices can be verified.

Checkpoint

TaskStatus
BriefDone
DatasetWorking
QAPlanned

After the rule is created, Task values remain unchanged; B2:B4 has a dropdown with Done, Working, and Planned; the B1 header does not have a dropdown.

Common mistakes and fixes

Independent practice

Add one row below QA, copy the dropdown rule from an existing Status cell to the new Status cell, choose an allowed status, then remove the test row to restore the sample.

Key takeaways

  • ✓Apply the dropdown only to B2:B4, not the B1 header.
  • ✓Open Data > Data validation and use Add rule.
  • ✓Use Dropdown criteria with exactly Done, Working, and Planned.
  • ✓Verify the dropdown directly in a cell after saving the rule.
  • ✓When the table grows, copy or extend the rule only to the new Status cells.
QUICK CHECK

Check your understanding

Answer four questions about the practice sheet.

1. Which range should receive the dropdown rule in the sample?
2. Which menu path opens the validation rule controls?
3. Which three dropdown choices are used in the sample?
4. What should you fix if the Status header also shows a dropdown?

Next lesson

Continue in the recommended learning order with “Create a simple data entry form”.