5 VBA Tricks to List Excel Sheet Names Instantly

Excel is a powerful tool widely used for data analysis, but managing multiple sheets within a workbook can often be tedious. Knowing how to list sheet names instantly can streamline your workflow, save time, and reduce errors. Here are five Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) tricks to help you quickly obtain the names of sheets within your Excel workbook.

1. Using the VBA Immediate Window

The Immediate Window in VBA is a straightforward way to display the names of sheets:

• Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.
• Press Ctrl + G to display the Immediate Window.
• Type ?ActiveSheet.Name and press Enter. This will list the current active sheet’s name.
• For listing all sheets, use:

Sub ListSheetNames()
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Sheets
        Debug.Print ws.Name
    Next ws
End Sub

💡 Note: If you do not see the Immediate Window, you can toggle it by navigating through View > Immediate Window in the VBA Editor.

2. Creating a List on a Worksheet

Instead of using the Immediate Window, you might want to list sheet names on an actual worksheet:

• In the VBA editor, click Insert > Module.
• Enter the following code:

Sub ListSheetsOnSheet()
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim targetWs As Worksheet
    Set targetWs = ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Add

Dim rowIndex As Integer
rowIndex = 1

For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Sheets
    If ws.Name <> targetWs.Name Then
        targetWs.Cells(rowIndex, 1).Value = ws.Name
        rowIndex = rowIndex + 1
    End If
Next ws


End Sub

This script adds a new worksheet and populates it with the names of all sheets in the workbook, excluding the sheet on which the list is being created.

📝 Note: The new sheet is added at the end of the existing sheets. You can adjust the code to change where the sheet is inserted if required.

3. Sorting Sheet Names Alphabetically

If you have a large workbook with many sheets, sorting them alphabetically can help you find what you need faster:

• Utilize the following macro to create a sorted list:

Sub ListSheetsSorted()
    Dim wsList As Variant
    Dim wsNames As Worksheet
    Set wsNames = ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Add

Dim i As Integer
i = 1

ReDim wsList(1 To ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Count)
For Each Sheet In ThisWorkbook.Sheets
    wsList(i) = Sheet.Name
    i = i + 1
Next Sheet

QuickSort wsList, 1, UBound(wsList)

For i = 1 To UBound(wsList)
    wsNames.Cells(i, 1).Value = wsList(i)
Next i


End Sub

Sub QuickSort(arr, first, last)
    Dim lo As Long, hi As Long
    Dim midValue As Variant
    lo = first
    hi = last
    midValue = arr((first + last) \ 2)
    Do While lo <= hi
        Do While arr(lo) < midValue And lo < last
            lo = lo + 1
        Loop
        Do While arr(hi) > midValue And hi > first
            hi = hi - 1
        Loop
        If lo <= hi Then
            Swap arr, lo, hi
            lo = lo + 1
            hi = hi - 1
        End If
    Loop
    If first < hi Then QuickSort arr, first, hi
    If lo < last Then QuickSort arr, lo, last
End Sub

Sub Swap(arr, a, b)
    Dim temp As Variant
    temp = arr(a)
    arr(a) = arr(b)
    arr(b) = temp
End Sub

This VBA script sorts the sheet names alphabetically and lists them on a new worksheet.

4. Creating a Dropdown List of Sheet Names

For an interactive experience, you can add a dropdown list to select and navigate between sheets:

• Set up a dropdown with Data Validation on a cell and populate it using VBA:

Sub CreateDropdownOfSheets()
    Dim wsList As String
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim ws As Worksheet

For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Sheets
    wsList = wsList & ws.Name & ","
Next ws

' Trim the last comma
wsList = Left(wsList, Len(wsList) - 1)

With Sheet1.Range("A1").Validation
    .Delete
    .Add Type:=xlValidateList, AlertStyle:=xlValidAlertStop, Operator:= _
    xlBetween, Formula1:=wsList
    .IgnoreBlank = True
    .InCellDropdown = True
    .InputTitle = "Select Sheet"
    .ErrorTitle = "Incorrect Selection"
    .InputMessage = "Choose a Sheet from the dropdown"
    .ErrorMessage = "Please select an existing sheet from the list"
End With


End Sub

When a user selects a sheet name from this dropdown, you can then have VBA navigate to that sheet.

5. Automatically Renaming Sheets

Imagine you want to rename sheets based on specific conditions or rules. Here’s how:

• Use the following script to rename sheets with a prefix or suffix:

Sub RenameSheets()
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim prefix As String
    Dim i As Integer

prefix = "Sheet_"
i = 1

For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets
    If ws.Name <> ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Name Then ' Exclude first sheet
        ws.Name = prefix & i
        i = i + 1
    End If
Next ws


End Sub

This can be modified to add any prefix or suffix you need.

In these VBA tricks, we've covered various techniques for managing sheet names, from simple listing to interactive dropdowns and automated renaming. These methods not only help in organizing your workbook but also in making it user-friendly and dynamic. Remember, while these scripts are straightforward, their implementation in your Excel workbooks can significantly enhance your productivity. Take the time to explore and customize these macros to fit your specific needs, which might include error handling, user prompts, or additional functionalities.

How do I run a VBA macro?

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To run a VBA macro, press Alt + F8 to open the Macro dialog box, select your macro from the list, and click ‘Run’.

Can these macros be used on all versions of Excel?

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Yes, these VBA macros should work on all versions of Excel that support VBA (which includes Excel 2007 and later versions).

What are the common errors when working with VBA macros?

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Common errors include syntax errors, runtime errors due to missing references, worksheet naming conflicts, and security settings blocking macros from running.