Forum Discussion
Drop-down list
- Apr 22, 2026
The built-in Data Validation drop-down list has a fixed maximum number of rows it will display. In your version of Excel (Office 365), that limit is 12 rows. Because your list contains 15 items, Excel will automatically add a scroll bar to the list. Unfortunately, adjusting the cell height, row height, or font size does not change this behavior; the pop-up window size is controlled internally by Excel.
The Working Solution: Combo Box (Form Control)
To display all 15 rows at once without scrolling, the best and most reliable method is to use a Combo Box Form Control. This is a small object you place on the worksheet that gives you full control over how many rows are shown.Here are the simple steps to set it up:
1. Enable the Developer Tab: Right-click anywhere on the gray Ribbon at the top of Excel and select Customize the Ribbon. In the right-hand panel, check the box next to Developer and click OK.
2. Insert the Combo Box: Click the Developer tab at the top, then click Insert. Under the section labeled Form Controls, click the Combo Box icon (it looks like a small dropdown box).
3. Draw the Box: Click and drag on your worksheet to draw the box. You can resize it at any time by dragging the small circles on its border.
4. Configure the Box:
- Right-click the Combo Box and select Format Control.
- Go to the Control tab.
- Input range: Highlight the cells containing your 15-item list (e.g., $A$1:$A$15).
- Drop down lines: Type 15 in this field. This is the key setting that forces the list to show all 15 items without a scrollbar.
- Cell link: Click the box and select any blank cell (e.g., D1). This cell will store the numeric position of the selected item (1–15).
- Click OK.
5. Display the Selected Value (Critical Step):
- The "Cell link" (e.g., D1) now contains a number (1–15), but you need the actual value from the list.
- In a separate cell (e.g., E1), enter the formula:
=INDEX($A$1:$A$15, D1)
This converts the numeric code in D1 to the corresponding item from your list (e.g., if D1=3, the formula returns the 3rd item in A1:A15).
When you click the arrow on this Combo Box, you will see all 15 items displayed neatly without any scrolling required.
I hope this provides a clear and workable path forward!
Hello Anna797,
In Microsoft Excel there is no way to increase the number of visible rows for a Data Validation drop-down list. This control has a fixed display size and cannot be changed.
To show all 15 items without scrolling, use a Combo Box instead.
Steps
Enable Developer tab
Insert Combo Box (Form Control)
Right click it and choose Format Control
Set Input range to your list
Set Drop down lines to 15
The Drop down lines setting controls how many items are visible.
Microsoft documentation
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-drop-down-list-7693307a-59ef-400a-b769-c5402dce407b
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-list-box-or-combo-box-to-a-worksheet-in-excel-579e1958-f7f6-41ae-ba0c-c83cc6e40878