How to Insert the Excel Tooltip on Hover - 3 Examples

The image below showcases the Excel tooltip on hover.

Use of Excel Tooltip

You can use the tooltip to:

Input Data
Explain Data
Display a Formula
Validate Data

Example 1 – Using Comments from the Insert Tab

Select the cell in which you want to add the tooltip and go to Insert tab > Comments.
Click Comment to add a comment to the selected cell.

Enter tour text and press Ctrl + Enter or click send to post it.

Moving the mouse cursor over the cell will display the tooltip.

Example 2 – Adding the Tooltip from Data Validation

Select the cell in which you want to add the tooltip and go to the Data tab > Data Tools > Data Validation.

In Data Validation, go to Input Message.
Check Show input message when cell is selected.
You can add a title.
Enter the text and click OK. The tooltip is added.

Click the cell to see the tooltip.

Method 3 – Using Excel VBA to Add the Tooltip

Go to the Developer tab > Visual Basic.

Insert a new module by choosing Insert > Module.

Enter the following code in the module.

Sub Text()
Dim x As Range
 For Each x In Range("B5:B9")
    With x.Validation
        .Delete
        .Add Type:=xlValidateInputOnly, AlertStyle:=xlValidAlertStop, _
            Operator:=xlBetween
        .IgnoreBlank = True
        .InCellDropdown = True
        .InputMessage = "Check Name Properly"
        .ShowError = True
    End With
Next x
End Sub

In the above code, select the range according to the position of your tooltip.

Run the code to add the tooltip to the selected cell.

Things to Remember

Try to keep the tooltip text brief and clear.
Check whether the tooltips are working properly.
Tooltips can contain up to 255 characters.
Tooltips are hidden by default in Excel. You can display them by enabling the Show ToolTips option in Excel Options dialog box.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I add an Excel tooltip on hover automatically?

A: No. However, you can still add it using other features.

2. What type of data can I display in tooltips?

A: You can display different types of data, including texts, hyperlinks, formulas, values, dates, etc.

3. Do tooltips work with merged cells?

A: Yes, the tooltip will be displayed when hovering over any part of the merged cell range.

How to Insert the Excel Tooltip on Hover – 3 Examples