How to use this office tool
- Upload a spreadsheet and choose the worksheet and target column.
- Enter approved values separated by commas or line breaks and set case and blank rules.
- Run validation, review the issue report, and download it as XLSX.
Validate Allowed Values in Excel
Check one Excel column against an approved value list and export every invalid or blank entry with its row context.
Input and options
Local browser processingAd space
What this tool does
The validator compares normalized cell values with your explicit allowlist and records nonmatching entries with source row numbers.
Target cell ∈ allowed-value set → valid; otherwise → issue report
This is a content check, not an Excel data-validation rule editor. The source workbook is not modified.
Supported formats and limits
XLSX and XLS workbooks are read with SheetJS. CSV and TSV are supported where listed. Each input file is limited to 25 MB, previews show at most 20 rows and 12 columns, and advanced Excel objects are not guaranteed to survive export.
| Processing | Inside this browser |
|---|---|
| Output | New XLSX file |
| Excel engine | Stored values; no full formula recalculation |
Tips for better results
- Copy the allowed values from an authoritative source.
- Decide whether Sales and sales should be equivalent.
- Review invisible spaces if a value looks correct but fails.
FAQ
How do I validate an Excel column against a list?
Select the column, paste the approved values, and process the file to create an issue report.
Can allowed-value matching ignore uppercase and lowercase?
Yes. Case-insensitive matching is the default; enable case-sensitive matching when capitalization matters.
Are blank cells reported as invalid?
They are reported unless Allow blank cells is enabled.
Does the tool change invalid spreadsheet values?
No. It identifies issues but does not guess replacements.
Can I paste allowed values on separate lines?
Yes. Commas and line breaks are both accepted as separators.
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Privacy and output notes
| Uploads | None |
|---|---|
| Preview | Limited to protect browser performance |
| Download | Created only after successful processing |