Add a ToolTip to a Cell to Guide the Person Using the Workbook

January 29, 2024 - by Bill Jelen

Problem: Excel offers all sorts of ToolTips to help understand the ribbon icons. It would be cool if I could add a ToolTip to a cell.

Strategy: You can easily add an informative ToolTip to any cell. The ToolTip will appear when someone selects the cell. Follow these steps:

1. Move the cell pointer to the cell. From the ribbon, choose Data, Data Validation. In the Data Validation dialog, select the Input Message tab.
2. On the Input Message tab, type a title for the ToolTip. In the Input Message area, type instructions for the person filling out the worksheet.

Two new icons on the far right side of the Insert tab are Equation and Symbol. — Figure 1486. ToolTips provide instant help.

A great use for Data Validation: Leave Settings tab blank and type a tooltip for the cell on the Input Message tab. The tooltip will appear when someone selects the cell. — Figure 1487. Write the cell ToolTip on the Input Message tab.

Results: When you move the cell pointer to that cell, an informative ToolTip will appear.

An example of a custom tooltip for a cell created using Data Validation. Cell B4 has a tooltip that says: Annual Percentage Rate - This number must be a percent. Values like 6% or 0.06 will work. A value like 6 will not work. — Figure 1488. Help appears for an input cell.

Additional Details: This is an innovative use for the Validation command. You are not actually specifying anything in particular in Allow dropdown, but merely using one of the auxiliary settings in order to have the tool tip display. The validation input message only appears when the cell is selected and might be slightly preferable to cell comments since they will not litter the spreadsheet with tiny red triangles. For information on cell comments, see Leave Helpful comments with Cell Notes.

This article is an excerpt from Power Excel With MrExcel

Title photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash