Searchable Drop Down Multiple combobox List In Excel to build recipe

[austinardan]

Hi all,

Essentially, I am building a baking (like cakes) recipe builder. The recipe can contain any number of items from the list, and need to be able to be searched and then selected. Once selected, the next combo box needs to be able to search that list again - it needs to be able to accept duplicates, like we want to add Vanilla in two different places.

I am looking with help to make combo box's searchable within a text list. I have found some similar solutions that can make a searchable combo box like this, but only using a single combobox. I need to be able to have 20 combo box's or inputs that will reference a list, search that list for any string of characters within the list and then output those into the combo box (or cull un-needed items from the list).

I want it to be able to search in combo box 1:
List cakeBuild:
Vanilla
Chocolate
Lemon
Sugar
Flour
and a search string "N" would return Vanilla and lemon.

then in combo box 2:
List cakeBuild:
Vanilla
Chocolate
Lemon
Sugar
Flour
and a search string "O" would return Chocolate, Lemon and Flour

The ultimate guide to searchable drop-down list in Excel

4 methods to create searchable drop-down lists in Excel. Streamline data entry by easily typing within your list. Works with all Excel versions.

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I have followed this link, but it comes up short with the fact that there is only one combo box. I come to a need that is to have 20 combo boxes, each searching the same list, each returning partial matches independent from each other and then they have to be able to be permanently set and the next combo box needs to be able to do the same string search within that same list as the previous one. Not all 20 boxes need to be used.