How to Create Multi Select ListBox in Excel (With Easy Steps)

Step 1 – Creating an Excel Table from a Dataset

Create a dataset with the information of 10 City Names and their Total Population on a given day in the cell range B5:C14.

Click on any cell of the dataset and choose Table from the Insert tab.

You will see the Create Table window which automatically selects the cell range to create a table.
Check the My table has headers box and press OK.

You will see the dataset is converted to a table.

You can find the table in the Table Name box under the Table Design tab

You can change the table name.

Step 2 – Naming the Dataset List from the Name Manager

Select any cell from Column B in the table.
Go to the Formulas tab and select Define Name.

You will see the New Name dialogue box.
Provide any name in the Name box. We put CityNames.

Click on the Refers to box in the same window.
Put the cursor over the header and it will show a black arrow.
Left-click to select the cell range B5:B14.

You will see the list of names along with the table name in the Refers to box. Press OK.

Follow the same procedure for the cell range C5:C14. Give it a different name.
You will see the names in the Name Box in the upper left corner of the workbook.

Step 3 – Creating a Drop Down List with Data Validation

Select the cells where you want to apply Data Validation.
Go to the Data tab and choose Data Validation in the Data Tools section.

In the Settings tab, choose List in the Allow box.

Check the Ignore blank and In-cell dropdown boxes.

Click on the Source box in this window and press F3 on your keyboard.
You will see the Paste Name dialogue box with the name list.
Choose CityNames from the list and press OK.

You will see the first list’s name showing in the source box.

Press OK and apply the same process for the second name list.
You will see that Data Validation is activated on the selected cells.

Step 4 – Inserting VBA Code to the Worksheet

Right-click on the worksheet and select View Code from the Context Menu.

Insert this code on the page.

Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rngDV As Range
Dim oldVal As String
Dim newVal As String
Dim strList As String
On Error Resume Next
Application.EnableEvents = False
   Set rngDV = Cells.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeAllValidation)
   On Error GoTo exitHandler
   If rngDV Is Nothing Then GoTo exitHandler
   If Not Intersect(Target, rngDV) Is Nothing Then
      If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then
         strList = Target.Validation.Formula1
         strList = Right(strList, Len(strList) - 1)
         strDVList = strList
         frmDVList.Show
      End If
   End If
exitHandler:
  Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

Go to the Insert tab and select Module.
The workbook name must be selected in the Project Object window.

Rename the module as modSettings and insert this code.

Option Explicit
Global strDVList As String

Step 5 – Creating a UserForm with a Listbox and Buttons

Select the workbook in the Project-VBAProject window in the Visual Basic editor.

Go to the Insert tab and select UserForm.

You will get the UserForm interface like this.

You will also get the Toolbox window.
Drag a ListBox to the UserForm.

The ListBox will look like this. Adjust the size by dragging the edges of the box.

Drag a CommandButton twice to UserForm as well to create two buttons.

The final output looks like this.

Step 6 – Changing Properties

Press F4 on the Visual Basic editor to open the Properties Window.
Select the UserForm and change its Name and Caption.

Select the ListBox and change the Name.

Change the type of ListStyle, MultiSelect, and SpecialEffect as per the image below.

Choose the first command button and make the following changes in the properties.

Edit the properties of the second command button as well.

Step 7 – Applying VBA Code to the UserForm

Select the UserForm and go to the View tab, then select Code.

Insert this code on the blank page. It will automatically run when the UserForm is opened.

Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
   Me.lstDV.RowSource = strDVList
End Sub

Go back to the UserForm interface by clicking on Object on the View tab.

Insert this code for the OK button in a similar way.

Private Sub cmdOK_Click()
Dim strSelItems As String
Dim lCountList As Long
Dim strSep As String
Dim strAdd As String
Dim bDup As Boolean
On Error Resume Next
strSep = ", "
With Me.lstDV
   For lCountList = 0 To .ListCount - 1
      If .Selected(lCountList) Then
         strAdd = .List(lCountList)
      Else
         strAdd = ""
      End If
      If strSelItems = "" Then
         strSelItems = strAdd
      Else
         If strAdd <> "" Then
            strSelItems = strSelItems _
              & strSep & strAdd
         End If
      End If
   Next lCountList
End With
With ActiveCell
   If .Value <> "" Then
      .Value = ActiveCell.Value _
        & strSep & strSelItems
   Else
      .Value = strSelItems
   End If
End With
Unload Me
End Sub

Insert this code for the Close button using the same process.

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
  Unload Me
End Sub

Press Ctrl + S to save it and close the window.

Step 8 – Multi Select from ListBox

Select cell B5 where we applied Data Validation.
A ListBox will pop up asking you to Select Item from List.
Choose more than one name from the list.

Press OK.
You have successfully multi-selected from a ListBox and each name is separated by a comma (,).

Things to Remember

Named ranges will not create a Data Validation rule if they are entered as a cell reference or with delimiters.
The Global variable is applied for both UserForm and Worksheet VBA code. Any active cell name initially passes the code strDVList to a temporary range and then is used as a RowSource for the ListBox when a user opens the UserForm.
You can combine multiple ranges in a single name.

Download the Practice Workbook

Multi Select ListBox.xlsm

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4 Comments

Julie Mar 12, 2022 at 12:47 AM

I’m receiving a “Compile error: Variable not defined” and it’s highlighting “strDVList =”

Tanjima Hossain Aug 30, 2022 at 9:51 AM

Hello Julie,
You can try out the following code. I think it will work for you. Just make sure to change the number in Target.Column = 3 according to your column number of data validation.

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim rngDV As Range
Dim oldVal As String
Dim newVal As String
If Target.Count > 1 Then GoTo exitHandler

On Error Resume Next
Set rngDV = Cells.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeAllValidation)
On Error GoTo exitHandler

If rngDV Is Nothing Then GoTo exitHandler

If Intersect(Target, rngDV) Is Nothing Then
Else
  Application.EnableEvents = False
  newVal = Target.Value
  Application.Undo
  oldVal = Target.Value
  Target.Value = newVal
  If Target.Column = 3 Then
    If oldVal = "" Then
      Else
      If newVal = "" Then
      Else
      Target.Value = oldVal & ", " & newVal

      End If
    End If
  End If
End If

exitHandler:
  Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

Sherry Jun 17, 2024 at 7:02 PM

Hello, I made a table with my data, but it doesn’t reference it. Is there anything I have to change about the code to reference my particular set of data?

Lutfor Rahman Shimanto Jun 20, 2024 at 11:59 AM

Hello Sherry

Thanks for reaching out! Providing an ultimate solution without glancing at your Excel file is difficult. However, I suggest several things you may check to ensure the multi-selection drop-down works properly.

Ensure you have created named ranges for your dataset as described. Make sure that the strDVList variable correctly references your named range. To ensure that the named range CityNames is correctly referenced by strDVList, you can call the InitializeDVList subroutine in the Worksheet_SelectionChange event before it tries to use strDVList.

So, double-click on the user form and replace the existing code with the following:

Sub InitializeDVList()
    strDVList = "CityNames"
End Sub

Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range)
    Dim rngDV As Range
    Dim oldVal As String
    Dim newVal As String
    Dim strList As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Application.EnableEvents = False
    Set rngDV = Cells.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeAllValidation)
    On Error GoTo exitHandler
    If rngDV Is Nothing Then GoTo exitHandler
    If Not Intersect(Target, rngDV) Is Nothing Then
        If Target.Validation.Type = 3 Then
            Call InitializeDVList
            frmDVList.Show
        End If
    End If
exitHandler:
    Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
    Me.lstDV.RowSource = strDVList
End Sub

Private Sub cmdOK_Click()
    Dim strSelItems As String
    Dim lCountList As Long
    Dim strSep As String
    Dim strAdd As String
    Dim bDup As Boolean
    On Error Resume Next
    strSep = ", "
    With Me.lstDV
        For lCountList = 0 To .ListCount - 1
            If .Selected(lCountList) Then
                strAdd = .List(lCountList)
            Else
                strAdd = ""
            End If
            If strSelItems = "" Then
                strSelItems = strAdd
            Else
                If strAdd <> "" Then
                    strSelItems = strSelItems & strSep & strAdd
                End If
            End If
        Next lCountList
    End With
    With ActiveCell
        If .Value <> "" Then
            .Value = ActiveCell.Value & strSep & strSelItems
        Else
            .Value = strSelItems
        End If
    End With
    Unload Me
End Sub

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub

Hopefully, these ideas will help you overcome your situation. Good luck.

Regards
Lutfor Rahman Shimanto
Excel & VBA Developer
ExcelDemy