Insert Dropdown List in WPS on Windows: Introduction

Insert Dropdown List in WPS helps you create preset choice menus in spreadsheet cells; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Insert Dropdown List is a spreadsheet data-entry feature in WPS Office for Windows. It helps you create selectable option lists in cells so entries stay more consistent and easier to manage.

Core capabilities include:

Apply an existing dropdown list: use preset templates for yes/no, status, or grade-style entries.
Create a custom dropdown list: add options manually, reorder them, remove them, and choose single-select or multi-select.
Open more settings: use typed values or a referenced range as the source, and configure invalid-input alerts.
Clear a dropdown list: remove the dropdown rule while keeping existing cell content.

This feature fits task tracking, approval records, category tagging, survey cleanup, and other structured data-entry scenarios in WPS Spreadsheet on Windows.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended for a complete interface and settings set
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local dropdown creation and editing; internet access is needed for download, installation, and account-related actions
Other	You need to open WPS Spreadsheet files and have permission to edit the target worksheet

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Spreadsheet, open a workbook, and confirm that the Insert tab shows the Dropdown List entry

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Create dropdown lists directly from the Insert tab in WPS Spreadsheet, with preset templates, custom options, multi-select, colors, referenced ranges, invalid-input alerts, and clear-list actions.	Excel creates in-cell dropdown lists through Data Validation, with list sources, input messages, error alerts, and list removal.	Google Sheets creates in-cell dropdown lists from typed values or ranges, and supports multi-select, display styles, and rule editing or deletion.	Notion uses Select, Status, and Multi-select database properties for record categorization, but this is not a spreadsheet cell-level dropdown workflow.	Acrobat supports dropdown or list fields in PDF forms, which fits form filling rather than spreadsheet cell validation.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS combines preset templates and custom creation in the spreadsheet interface. Distinct: the same workflow can include multi-select, colors, referenced ranges, and invalid-input prompts.	Compared with WPS: Excel's official page focuses on data-validation-based dropdown lists, with less emphasis on preset templates or color-based options in the same flow.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets supports multi-select and display styles, but the workflow is centered on the data validation rule panel.	Compared with WPS: Notion is better aligned with database property management and does not provide the same spreadsheet cell-level dropdown editing flow.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat is better aligned with PDF form field design rather than spreadsheet data entry.
Official Source	—	Create a drop-down list	Create a drop-down list in a cell	Database properties	Field properties for form components in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is standardized data entry inside spreadsheets, Insert Dropdown List in WPS offers a direct entry point and a broad set of settings in one flow. Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets also provide mature in-cell dropdown features, while Notion and Adobe are better matched to database-property or PDF-form scenarios.

Source: Microsoft Support; Google Docs Editors Help; Notion Help Center; Adobe Help Center

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How this feature helps
1	Task status management	Project members, team leads	Status values are entered inconsistently	Use a preset template such as Not Started / In Progress / Completed
2	Approval result entry	Admin, finance, HR teams	Binary results are easy to mistype	Apply a Yes / No style dropdown template
3	Category tag organization	Operations and data-maintenance staff	Many categories need reordering	Build a custom dropdown list and drag options into a new order
4	Multi-tag records	Spreadsheet owners who track multiple labels	One cell needs more than one label	Turn on multi-select in a custom dropdown list
5	Standardized data collection	Form designers and analysts	Invalid entries affect later analysis	Use referenced ranges and invalid-input alerts in More Settings

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
Basic Writer, Spreadsheet, and Presentation features	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet dropdown-list actions covered in this guide	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic PDF features and PDF reading	✅ Available	✅ Available
More advanced PDF, conversion, and extended tools	Partially limited	More items available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB shown on parts of the pricing page

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday spreadsheet entry, status tracking, and basic office work	Free	Insert Dropdown List and common spreadsheet editing tasks are available directly
Ongoing needs for more PDF, conversion, cloud storage, or sharing features	WPS Premium	Better suited to users who need broader office capabilities over time

WPS membership center: Subscribe now
To review current plans and benefit details, open the official purchase page and choose the option that fits your work.