How to make a drop down list based on static values of cells in column beside list
Our take
This user's challenge in automotive transportation highlights a critical gap in legacy spreadsheet tools: the inability to dynamically contextualize data based on related values across sheets. When dealing with thousands of records featuring duplicate VINs and overlapping dates, manual matching becomes not just tedious but error-prone. The core need isn't about creating static dropdowns, but about empowering users to efficiently link disparate datasets using shared identifiers like VIN numbers—a fundamental requirement for data integrity in logistics and operations. Understanding this struggle is key, as it reveals how even experienced users can be hampered by limitations in tools designed for simpler tasks.
What makes this scenario particularly compelling is its universality. Beyond transportation, any industry handling complex inventory, billing, or project management faces similar hurdles when reconciling data with non-unique keys. The user's solution—dynamically populating dropdowns with order IDs filtered by VIN—represents a practical evolution of spreadsheet functionality. It transforms Excel from a passive data container into an active matching assistant, reducing cognitive load and human error. This approach underscores a broader shift: spreadsheets must become more context-aware, enabling users to explore relationships and transform workflows without requiring advanced programming or external tools. Current limitations, as seen in Creating Dropdown Menus and Populating other cells, often force workarounds that compromise efficiency.
The proposed solution leverages Excel’s existing capabilities in innovative ways, focusing on user empowerment over technical complexity. By using functions like `FILTER` or dynamic named ranges tied to VIN values, users can create dropdowns that automatically adapt to each row’s context. This method simplifies the matching process, turning a manual chore into a guided step. It’s a prime example of making complex technology accessible, aligning with the brand’s human-centered approach. However, this workaround also illuminates a deeper need: native AI-driven suggestions for record matching, especially when duplicates exist. While fully automating such matching remains challenging due to ambiguous data, even partial solutions, like the dropdown approach, significantly empower users to transform their data management and explore more efficient workflows.
Looking ahead, the future of data management lies in systems that proactively identify and suggest relationships based on contextual clues, reducing the need for manual intervention. Until then, optimizing existing tools like Excel to handle dynamic contexts—akin to advanced techniques in Get rid of duplicates in several columns based on a unique value in one column?—remains a critical step toward user empowerment. As we explore these solutions, the question becomes: how can AI transform spreadsheets from reactive tools into proactive partners in data reconciliation, ensuring accuracy while freeing users for higher-value tasks?
I have tried looking for the answer to this, but I keep on getting results for contextual multiple drop down lists, which is NOT what I want
I work in automotive transportation. We just discovered that we have some information that is not linking correctly in the transportation program that we use. We can use an excel file to upload the corrections, but I need to get it set up first
Basically have a list of customer invoice numbers that I need to match to our internal order numbers. I can pull information on the moves based on the vehicle vin number. The only problem is that the only common information between the list from the customer and the information I can pull are the vin numbers and the prices. Neither of which are unique in either list, as many of these we have moved multiple times. Even the dates only generally matched as the invoice date can be several days after delivery and there are even some vehicles that have been moved multiple times on the same invoice
I can sort things to group the vins, and then match information by eye. But I am trying to make that a bit easier. What I would like to do is have a column that has drop down list, with the values in the list based on the vin number that is in that row
So I want excel to look at the vin in that row, then search the other list (on another sheet) for the same vin and populate the list with the order numbers that match
Not sure if it is possible or if what I am saying makes sense, but I figured I would ask before I start having to fix about 13k records fully manually. As it is because of the duplicate information I do not think I can automate or use functions to help with anything else other than arranging the order of the information for the upload
I am using legacy excel 2019
Edit:
I see that I was not clear enough and need to show some examples.
Here is the information that I can pull from our program. I can actually pull quite a bit more, but none of it will match with the other sheet. Note that this is for one (fake) VIN. There are a few thousand individual VINS
| + | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order ID | PO Number | Vin | Rate | Delivered Date |
| 2 | 113201 | 460933 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | 1,800.00 | 03/02/2026 |
| 3 | 121139 | 461019 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | 400.00 | 03/05/2026 |
| 4 | 149543 | 461229 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | 1,300.00 | 03/18/2026 |
| 5 | 170875 | 461472 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | 1,500.00 | 04/02/2026 |
| 6 | 180304 | 461548 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | 400.00 | 04/02/2026 |
Here is the information about the invoices:
| + | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIN | Invoice Number | Amount | Type | Invoice Date |
| 2 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647898 | 75 | TAX | 2026-04-09 |
| 3 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647897 | 1500 | Transport | 2026-04-09 |
| 4 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699603 | 400 | Transport | 2026-03-12 |
| 5 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699604 | 20 | TAX | 2026-03-12 |
| 6 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699603 | 1800 | Transport | 2026-03-12 |
| 7 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699604 | 90 | TAX | 2026-03-12 |
| 8 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I674724 | 1300 | Transport | 2026-03-26 |
| 9 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I674725 | 65 | TAX | 2026-03-26 |
| 10 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647897 | 400 | Transport | 2026-04-09 |
| 11 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647898 | 20 | TAX | 2026-04-09 |
Note, the Tax line is currently not entered for the Orders. Once the Invoices are matched up, it will be. Even if it were, it would be another column on the same line as the Order in the first sheet. This is also all of the information that I can get for this sheet. Note that not only are the VINS duplicated, for this one was are two invoices that are duplicated, and even a couple of moves on the same date
But what I have to do (with slightly different order of the columns and a bit other other information, but that is easy), is make it look like this:
| + | A | B | C | D | E | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIN | Invoice Number | Amount | Type | Invoice Date | Order ID |
| 2 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647898 | 75 | TAX | 2026-04-09 | 170875 |
| 3 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647897 | 1500 | Transport | 2026-04-09 | 170875 |
| 4 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699603 | 400 | Transport | 2026-03-12 | 121139 |
| 5 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699604 | 20 | TAX | 2026-03-12 | 121139 |
| 6 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699603 | 1800 | Transport | 2026-03-12 | 113201 |
| 7 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I699604 | 90 | TAX | 2026-03-12 | 113201 |
| 8 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I674724 | 1300 | Transport | 2026-03-26 | 149543 |
| 9 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I674725 | 65 | TAX | 2026-03-26 | 149543 |
| 10 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647897 | 400 | Transport | 2026-04-09 | 180304 |
| 11 | WBAVH13538VMRA825 | I647898 | 20 | TAX | 2026-04-09 | 180304 |
So my question is, it make it easier, can I make a drop down in column F of the second table where it is ONLY populated by the Order IDs for the VIN in column A. If it was a different VIN, it would have different order numbers.
If course, if someone can come up with a way of matching fully, it would be even better, but between the duplicates, including of the Invoice numbers, and the dates being off, I am not expecting it. I just want to make it a bit easier than copy and pasting the Order Numbers across
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