I’m working with a Google Sheets document where I have data validation dropdowns applied to an entire column. The problem is that these dropdown arrows appear in every single cell down the column, even in empty rows where I haven’t entered any information yet.
What I’m trying to achieve is to only show the dropdown arrow when certain conditions are met. For example, I want the dropdown to appear only after I’ve filled in the “Timestamp” or “Contact” column in that same row. Since I always begin by entering the timestamp first, it would be perfect if the dropdown arrow could appear right after I input that initial data.
Is there a way to set up conditional data validation in Google Sheets? I want to avoid seeing all those dropdown indicators in unused rows. Any suggestions would be really helpful!
Nope, Google Sheets can’t hide dropdown arrows based on other cell values. The dropdown shows up for every cell in your validation range, whether other cells are filled or not. I’ve had better luck applying data validation to smaller ranges instead of whole columns. You can manually add validation to new rows as you fill them, or write a Google Apps Script to add dropdowns when certain conditions are met. The script route needs some coding knowledge but gives you way more control. You could also use conditional formatting to make empty rows less cluttered visually, though it won’t actually hide the dropdown arrows.
i had this issue too! u can use ARRAYFORMULA with IF to set up a kinda workaround. like, u can limit dropdowns to only show when the timestamp cell has something. just know it’ll take some trial and error to figure it out.
Google Sheets can’t do this natively, but I’ve got a workaround that actually works pretty well. Skip the upfront validation on the whole column - instead, set up the first few rows with proper validation as a template. Then use Apps Script with a simple trigger that watches your timestamp column. When someone fills in a timestamp, the script automatically adds dropdown validation to that row. No more empty dropdown arrows cluttering up your sheet, but you still get the functionality. Takes maybe 10 minutes to set up once you figure it out.