Summary  
This chapter covers how to define and persist user-defined sequences as reusable collections for automated iteration and data population. It explains creating, importing, editing, and deleting these custom lists stored in application-wide settings.

General domain of usage  
Spreadsheet automation

Excel's built-in Autofill sequences (months, weekdays, quarters) are useful, but every dataset has its own repeating vocabulary. In our sales table, the Region column cycles through East, West, North, South. The Product column cycles through Laptop, Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor, Printer, Tablet. Every time you build a new version of this table, you type those values again — or copy them from somewhere else.

**Custom Lists** let you register any sequence once, and then Autofill it forever — in any workbook, on any machine with that Excel profile. 

**Custom Lists** are stored in Excel's settings, not in any individual file. This means they're available across all your workbooks permanently, until you delete them.

### To Open Custom Lists


File → Options → Advanced → scroll to General section → Edit Custom Lists

### Creating a Custom List
#### Method 1 — Type the list manually

1. Open the **Custom Lists** dialog;
2. In the left panel, click **NEW LIST**
3. In the "List entries" box on the right, type each value on a separate line:

   East</br>
   West</br>
   North</br>
   South

4. Click **Add** → the list appears in the left panel;
5. Click **OK**.

Done. Type `East` in any cell, drag the fill handle — Excel cycles through West, North, South, East, West… indefinitely.

#### Method 2 — Import from a range
If your values already exist in the spreadsheet (as they do in our sales table), you don't need to type them again:

1. Select the cells containing the values you want — for example, a clean list of your four regions in a spare column;
2. Open the Custom Lists dialog;
3. The **Import list from cells** field at the bottom shows your selected range;
4. Click **Import**.

The list is registered instantly from whatever is in those cells.

### Managing Your Custom Lists
Over time you may want to review, edit, or remove lists you've created.

**To edit a list**: open Custom Lists, click the list in the left panel, edit the entries on the right, click **Add** to save changes.

**To delete a list**: select it in the left panel, click **Delete**. Note that Excel's built-in lists (months, weekdays) cannot be deleted.


**Custom Lists** are stored in your local Excel profile — they don't travel with the workbook file. If a colleague opens the same file on their machine, they won't have your custom lists available. For shared team workflows, it's worth documenting which lists to register as part of your team setup.

Note

Your sales table already has the four regions listed in column C. What is the fastest way to register them as a Custom List?

You registered a Custom List with six products: Laptop, Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor, Printer, Tablet. You type 'Monitor' in a cell and drag the fill handle down 4 rows. What does Excel fill in?

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Learn how to combine efficient formula techniques with automation tools to eliminate repetitive work, streamline calculations, and build scalable Excel workflows that save time and reduce errors.

Custom Lists for Repeated Data

To Open Custom Lists

Creating a Custom List

Method 1 — Type the list manually

Method 2 — Import from a range

Managing Your Custom Lists

1. Your sales table already has the four regions listed in column C. What is the fastest way to register them as a Custom List?

2. You registered a Custom List with six products: Laptop, Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor, Printer, Tablet. You type 'Monitor' in a cell and drag the fill handle down 4 rows. What does Excel fill in?