In Excel: type the items in one column, select them and press Ctrl+T to make it an Excel Table — the list then grows by itself and can be referenced by name everywhere else.
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Put one item per row in a single column, with a header cell above them.
Select the range and press Ctrl+T, confirming that the range has headers.
Give it a meaningful name in Table Design ▸ Table Name — that name is what makes formulas readable.
For a drop-down, select the target cells ▸ Data ▸ Data Validation ▸ Allow: List ▸ Source: =TableName[ColumnName].
To keep the list sorted or de-duplicated automatically in Microsoft 365, feed the drop-down from =SORT(UNIQUE(tblDept[Department])) in a helper column.
For a bulleted list inside one cell, press Alt+Enter between items and turn on Home ▸ Wrap Text.
What this does
"List" means three different things and the right answer depends on which one you want. A plain list of items becomes useful the moment you press Ctrl+T: an Excel Table auto-expands when you type below it, gets filter buttons, and can be referenced as tblNames[Name] instead of a fixed range. A drop-down list that restricts what someone can type is Data ▸ Data Validation ▸ Allow: List, with the source pointing at that table column. And a numbered or bulleted list inside a single cell is a formatting job — Alt+Enter for the line breaks with Wrap Text on. Getting the first one right is what makes the other two maintainable. Before you run it on a workbook other people depend on, try it on a copy or a few rows first. Undo only reaches back through the current session, so a quick trial run is the cheapest way to see exactly what will change before the file is saved and shared. For “compare 2 lists in excel”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected list change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That is what makes a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
A worked example
Type six department names down A2:A7, select A1:A7 with a header in A1, press Ctrl+T and tick "My table has headers". Name it in Table Design ▸ Table Name: tblDept. Now a drop-down anywhere in the workbook is Data ▸ Data Validation ▸ Allow: List ▸ Source: =tblDept[Department]. Add a seventh department by typing it in A8 — the table grows and every drop-down picks it up with no further edit. Almost every spreadsheet starts as a list, and whether it was made a Table on day one decides whether the next six months are maintenance or rework. If this is something you do often, add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar (right-click it on the ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar) or learn its shortcut, so next time it is one click instead of a hunt through the menus.
In Google Sheets
This is a command rather than a formula, so there is no syntax to carry over. Google Sheets arranges its commands in menus across the top instead of a ribbon, names some of them differently and does not have every Excel command — look for the equivalent in the Sheets menus or its help before assuming the steps match. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, repeat the steps once in your own workbook — doing it yourself is what turns a copied answer into something you remember. Here is the takeaway for “compare 2 lists in excel”: follow the steps at the top, check the result on the sheet itself, and keep undo in mind while you experiment. Done once deliberately, it becomes something you do from memory in Excel rather than something you search for again.
Common mistakes
- Building everything on a fixed range like
A2:A20, so item 21 is invisible to every formula that depends on it. - Leaving blank rows inside the list, which stops the table expanding and puts empty entries in the drop-down.
- Keeping the source list on the same sheet as the form people fill in, where it gets edited by accident — put it on a separate sheet.
- Naming the table Table1 and then reading formulas six months later.
- Mixing trailing spaces into the items, so lookups against the list fail on the rows that look correct.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a list in Excel?
Type the items in one column under a header, select the range and press Ctrl+T. That makes it an Excel Table, which expands automatically and can be referenced by name.
How do I turn a list into a drop-down?
Select the cells that should get the drop-down, then Data ▸ Data Validation ▸ Allow: List, and set Source to =TableName[ColumnName] so it grows with the table.
How do I make a bulleted list inside a single cell?
Press Alt+Enter between the items to add line breaks, and turn on Home ▸ Wrap Text so they all show.
Why does my drop-down not show new items?
The source is almost certainly a fixed range rather than a table column. Convert the source to a Table with Ctrl+T and point the validation at =TableName[ColumnName].
Other ways people ask this
On the way here you may have searched this as “how to compare 2 lists in excel”, “how do i compare 2 lists in excel”, “check list a compare to list b excel” and “excel compare 2 lists for duplicates” — it is all the same task, and this page is the single, complete answer to it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “how to compare 2 lists in excel”, “how do i compare 2 lists in excel”, “check list a compare to list b excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.