Create a Functional To Do List in Excel – 4 Methods

The following dataset showcases a Homework List table with Date, Subject Name, and Status.

Create a functional to do list in the Status column:

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel


Method 1 – Using a Drop Down List to Create a Functional To Do List

Steps:

  • Select the Status column:  D5:D14.
  • Go to the Data tab > select Data Tools > select Data Validation > Data Validation.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel

In the Data Validation dialog box:

  • In Allow, select List.
  • In Source, click the upward arrow marked red.

  • Select F5:F7 as Source > click OK.

A down arrow is displayed at the right bottom of D5.

  • Click the arrow to see the status names.
  • Select On Going.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel

The Status is displayed in D5.

This is the output.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel


Method 2 – Using a Check Box to Create a Functional To Do List

Steps:

  • Click a cell, here, D5 > go to the Developer tab > click Insert > select Check Box.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel

A plus sign is displayed in D5.

  • Click D5.

You will see a Check Box in D5.

  • Press ENTER.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel

The Check Box is displayed in each cell of the Status column.

  • Click the Check Box to show whether the homework is complete.

This is the output.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel


Method 3 – Using the Sort Option to Create a Functional To Do List

Steps:

  • Complete the Status column by following the steps described in Method 1.

Keep the rows highlighted in green to show Complete in the Status column. Filter these rows.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel

  • Select the entire Status column: D5:D14 > go to the Home tab > select Editing > select Sort & Filter > select Filter.

You can see a downward arrow marked red in D5.

  • Click the arrow.

  • Check Complete > click OK.

This is the output.

Fully Functional to Do List in Excel


Method 4 – Using Excel an Formula and VBA to Create a Functional To Do List

Steps:

  • Complete the Priority column by following the steps described in Method 1.

Here, for the Priority list, take Weightage and in G5 we insert a Status Input symbol.

To calculate the Total Activities, Completed Score, Total Score, and %Completed, use the COUNTIF, COUNTIFS and IFERROR functions.

  • Select I11 and enter the following formula to calculate the Total Activities.
=COUNTIF($D$5:$D$14,"<>")

Formula Breakdown

  • COUNTIF($D$5:$D$14,”<>”)→ counts the number of cells that meet a criterion.
    • Output → 10.
  • Press ENTER.

  • Enter the following formula in I12 to calculate the Completed Score.
=COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$5,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$5+COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$6,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$6+COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$7,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$7

Formula Breakdown

  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$5,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9) → applies the criterion to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times the criterion is met.
    • Output → 0
  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$5,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$5 →  multiplies 3 by $I$5.
    • Output → 0
  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$6,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9) →  applies the criterion to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times the criterion is met.
    • Output → 0
  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$6,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$6 →  multiplies 2 by $I$6.
    • Output → 0
  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$7,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9) → applies the criterion to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times the criterion is met.
    • Output → 0
  • COUNTIFS($E$5:$E$14,$H$7,$F$5:$F$14,$I$9)*$I$7 → multiplies 0 by $I$7.
    • Output → 0
  • Press ENTER.

  • Use the following formula in I13 to calculate the Total Score.
=COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$5)*$I$5+COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$6)*$I$6+COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$7)*$I$7

Formula Breakdown

  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$5) → counts the number of cells that meet a criterion
    • Output → 4
  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$5)*$I$5 → multiplies 4 by $I$5
    • Output → 20
  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$6) → counts the number of cells that meet a criterion
    • Output → 3
  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$6)*$I$6  → multiplies 3 by $I$6
    • Output → 9
  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$7) → counts the number of cells that meet a criterion
    • Output → 3
  • COUNTIF($E$5:$E$14,$H$7)*$I$7 → multiplies 3 by $I$7
    • Output → 3
  • Press ENTER.

  • Enter the following formula in I14 to find the Percent Completed.
=IFERROR(H10/H11,0)

Formula Breakdown

  • IFERROR(I12/I13,0) →  If TRUE returns the value of H10/H11. Otherwise, returns 0.
    • Output → 0.0%.
  • Press ENTER.

Fully Functional To Do List in Excel

  • Keep I9 in Wingdings Font.

  • Keep the Status column in Wingdings Font.

Use a VBA code to create a functional to do list.

  • Right-click the VBA Code sheet > select View Code.

In the VBA editor window:

  • Click the downward arrow in General > select Worksheet.

  • Click the downward arrow in SelectionChange > select BeforeDoubleClick.

  • Enter the following code in the VBA editor window.
Private Sub Worksheet_BeforeDoubleClick(ByVal Target As Range, Cancel As Boolean)
Cancel = False
    If Target.Row >= 5 And Target.Row <= 14 And Target.Column = 6 Then
    Cancel = True
        If Cells(Target.Row, Target.Column) <> Range("I9").Value Then
            Cells(Target.Row, Target.Column).Value = Range("I9").Value
        Else: Cells(Target.Row, Target.Column).Value = ""
     End If
End If
End Sub

Code Breakdown

  • In the Private Sub, DoubleClick is used as an event. If you double click the selected column, the code will place a Check Mark on the completed project.
  • The IF statement checks the values of rows 5 to 14. If the cell does not equal the value of I9, it places the value of I9. Otherwise, it keeps the cell empty.
  • Close the VBA window and go back to the worksheet.
  • Double-click F5.

A Check mark is displayed. 15.6% is displayed in %Completed.

Fully Functional To Do List in Excel

To highlight the Status row:

  • Select the entire dataset > go to the Home tab > select Conditional Formatting > select New Rule.

In the New Formatting Rule window:

  • Select Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
  • Enter the following formula in Format value where this formula is true.
=AND($F5=$I$9,$D5<>"")
  • Click Format.

In the Format Cells window:

  • Select a color. Here, blue. > click OK.

Fully Functional To Do List in Excel

In the New Formatting Rule window, you can see the Preview.

  • Click OK.

If you double click a cell in the Status column,  you will see the entire row highlighted in blue. you will also see the %Completed in H12.

  • Double click different cells to see the functional to do list.

Fully Functional To Do List in Excel


Download Workbook


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Afia Kona
Afia Kona

Afia Aziz Kona, a graduate of Civil Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh, serves as a technical content creator in the ExcelDemy project. Possessing a passion for innovation and critical thinking, she actively embraces challenges. Beyond her engineering background, Afia exhibits a keen interest in Excel, having authored numerous articles on Excel & VBA-related issues to simplify the experience for users facing obstacles in Excel. Apart from creating Excel tutorials, she is also... Read Full Bio

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