Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 16, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Ed asked if there was a way, using Word tables, to validate data that is added to cells. For instance, to limit the minimum and maximum characteristics of the data that could be entered in a cell.
The bad news, Ed, is that there is no easy way to accomplish such a feat solely using Word. Granted, a set of macros could be devised that would do some sort of validation, but they would not be easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Alternatively, you could set up a user form with input fields for each table cell. Then, you could apply validation code to what the user enters or selects in each input field. Even this approach, however, would be difficult to implement for all but the simplest tables.
Perhaps the easiest method of accomplishing data validation, however, is to simply use Excel. It has data validation routines quickly available to a user on a cell-by-cell basis. Then, the table data created in Excel can be pasted into (and linked to) a Word document.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1495) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Insert a manual page break into the middle of a table, and you may find that subsequent pages of the table don't always ...
Discover MoreWant to move a row in a table very easily? You can do so by using the same editing techniques you are already using.
Discover MorePrint a table and you may be surprised if it has no borders. That could be because you actually have the borders turned ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments