How to Create a Data Entry Form in Excel [One-Click, No VBA]

 

Data Entry Form is one of the best ways to enter data in a table.

But, creating a form to enter data it not a cup of cake.

Yes, that's right.

While struggling with this problem, I have found that you can create a form in Excel for data entry just with a single click.

The best part about this form is it’s pre-designed and flexible. Just look at the below example.

 

data entry form in excel

Here's the idea:

To create this entry form, the only thing you need to do is to activate it.

Table of Content
How to Create?
How to Use
Important Points

How to Create this Data Entry Form

In a short while, you will discover that how helpful this tool is.

But, this is hard to believe that there is no listing of this data entry form in the ribbon. So, you have to make it appear before we use it.

And before you activate this form, you need a table to enter data or at least headers of the data.

table heading to use data entry form in excel

To activate it, click any of the cells in the table or just select one of the heading cells and use one of the below two methods.

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut key: Alt + D + O + O.
  2. Add an icon to quick access toolbar.
    1. File ➜ Options ➜ Quick Access Toolbar.
    2. Choose Command From ➜ Commands Not In Ribbon ➜ From ➜ Add ➜ Click OK.
add data form icon on quick access toolbar in excel

After using one of the above options, it will create a data entry form for you just like below.

open data entry form in excel

And if you notice, all the headings of your data table automatically captured in the form.

How to Use this Data Entry Form

To use this form you need to learn some basic things which I have mentioned ahead.

#1. Create New Entry

To create a new data entry fill all the input boxes with data click on the “New” button.

Now if you look at the below example you’ll find that there is no input bar for the amount column.

No, there is no bug.

We have a formula in the amount column to multiply the quantity by the price.

That means this form is quite smart to discover the columns where there is no need to input data.

enter data in a table with this data entry form in Excel

#2. Navigate Entries

To navigate all the entries which you have entered in your data, you can use the scroll bar or you can use “Find Prev” & “Find Next” buttons.

scroll through entries with this data entry from in Excel

#3. Edit Entries

To edit an entry you have to first navigate to that entry by the using method mentioned above.

Once you navigate, you can make the changes in any of the input boxes and after that, just press enter key.

While editing your entry (before pressing enter or clicking close button), if you want to restore your entry you can do it with restore button.

It will restore the previous data in all the input boxes.

edit entries with this data entry form in Excel

#4. Delete Entries

To delete an entry you have to navigate to that entry and click on the delete button.

A pop window will appear for the confirmation of the deletion and it will instantly delete that entry from your data table.

delete entry using this data entry from in Excel from table

#5. Find a Specific Entry

If you are working on a large data, you can use “Criteria” button to find a specific entry.

For example, if you want to find entries from below table which match some specific criteria, just click on criteria button, enter the criteria in the input box and press Enter.

You will get the data entries matching your criteria. You can also use your criteria in more than one input box.

find a specific entry in this excel data entry form with a criteria

Important Points about this Data Entry Form

Well there some important points which you should know to play well with this form.

  • The maximum number of input boxes you can use in data entry form is 32.
  • The width of the input box is purely connected with the related column in the worksheet. If your worksheet columns are not sufficiently wide to show values, the same width will reflect in your data form also.
  • On the other hand, if only one of the columns is over in width, the same width will reflect for all input boxes in data form.
  • If you have a range with the name of "Database" then there is no need to select any cell from the table. It will always insert data in that table.
  • While using criteria to pull some specific data, you can use Excel Wildcard Characters in this form.
  • While creating data entries if you try to overwrite data in the cell, it will give you an alert message "Cannot extend list or database".

Conclusion

In the end, I just want to say that this data entry form is very useful although it has very few options.

If your requirement is not so high you can use this tool rather than clubbing in some high-grade user-forms.

I hope you found this tool helpful in your work and now tell me one thing.

Have you ever used this form before?

Please share your views in the comment section, I’d love to hear from you and please don’t forget to share this tip with your friends.

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About the Author

puneet one point one

Puneet is using Excel since his college days. He helped thousands of people to understand the power of the spreadsheets and learn Microsoft Excel. You can find him online, tweeting about Excel, on a running track, or sometimes hiking up a mountain.

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  1. I have a question
    How can I hide a row automatic when an amount is zero on that row and automatic unhide that same row when the amount is > than 0.

    Reply

  2. Super helpful, have been wasting too much time trying to understand what you made understandable in minutes–thank you!!!

    Reply

  4. Myself Ayesha its very helpful for learners the way which has showed step by step really very interesting & helpfull to learn.

    Reply

  5. I am very fan of your site. Wow fantastic. Really I appreciate your hardwork to make understand us.

    Need one help.
    I have a Pivot where in the Pivot there is column with XYZ% format. I want to see it like in this format only.

    However I got surprised seeing the format automatically got changed from percentage to number format.

    65.34%. …. 4567% or 2345.754
    like these.

    I am not able to understand why this is happening?

    Reply

  6. Hi
    Can I make multiple entries in one user_form in Excel just like Access because if a company sells many items on one date and one invoice number, obviously they will not fill many form for one date, one product and for one invoice many times
    Thnx

    Reply

  7. I need assistance to make the 3 items (ISP ID, Pit Sector, OSP Hole Depth) and the Image to change in the form as I select the Target Sheet from the combo box (OSP ID #)

    I want a code that would change 3 text box instantly on the same from as I change the combo box items. I also need the image to simultaneously change as the selection in the combo box is made.

    Any assistance please?

    Reply

  8. I created your ‘How to Create a Data Entry Form in Excel [One-Click, No VBA]’ and it work fine but I want to have a few of the form headers to be a drop down list. Can’t see where I can create this. Please advise?

    Reply

  9. Thanks for this information. I have one question . Is it possible to have the form in a sheet instead of always looking for it on the top ? It will be more user friendly too . Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  12. Hi Puneet,
    Thanks for these great suggestions which I am sure work like a treat with any PCs but I use a Mac (Excel for Mac) and the Form is sadly not available as you describe it.
    Would anyone from the Mac world be able to help please?
    Many thanks,
    Cat

    Reply

  13. I’m new to vba and forms and was amazed at how easy this worked but discovered an issue. When I tried to use this on a second table it crashed Excel. I tried it in a different workbook and different table and it crashed. I went back to the original workbook and table and it works fine. Is this a one trick pony or, as I assume, am I missing something basic?

    I would really love to use this in multiple workbooks and multiple tables in each workbook if possible.

    Thank you

    Reply

  15. I’m new to vba and forms and was amazed at how easy this worked but discovered an issue. When I tried to use this on a second table it crashed Excel. I tried it in a different workbook and different table and it crashed. I went back to the original workbook and table and it works fine. Is this a one trick pony or, as I assume, am I missing something basic?

    I would really love to use this in multiple workbooks and multiple tables in each workbook if possible.

    Thank you

    Reply

  16. I tried this Data entry Form. The only problem is that I have drop down lists on some columns and input does not capture my drop down lists when I use the form. How can I make the form to display my list so I can pick options from there

    Reply

  19. Puneet, i am unable to understand the benefit of it as all these can be done in any range or table…….

    Reply

  21. Puneet, thank you for your article on this Excel data entry form.

    For users that want some more advanced Data entry forms can I suggest to try Virtual Forms for Excel.

    http://www.virtual-forms.com https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c48cb01a7aca0a863855708c4652ceb0936d0de6661bf6d52a5adb4fcb4660bd.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9152ed5998fec9692bbf3ca35b3223e46a566729aa1d23ad60843189600f86d1.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/66bdf7934034c854b9bf01b3b0b0b31bbe6dda1a195cdac767a23b04bf46a016.png

    Reply