---
title: Create a Domain-based Attribute
ms.custom: microsoft-excel-add-in
ms.date: "07/25/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "mds"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: master-data-services
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.assetid: 7b3e30dc-8f41-4a5d-8009-ae5a4426a64b
author: lrtoyou1223
ms.author: lle
---
# Create a Domain-based Attribute (MDS Add-in for Excel)

[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly](../../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly.md)]

  In the [!INCLUDE[ssMDSshort](../../includes/ssmdsshort-md.md)][!INCLUDE[ssMDSXLS](../../includes/ssmdsxls-md.md)], administrators can create a domain-based attribute when they want to constrain the values in a column to a specific set of values.  
  
 The values can already be in the worksheet or they can come from an existing entity.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  If users type a value in the constrained column, rather than selecting from the list, errors are displayed in the **$InputStatus$** column when they publish.  
  
## Prerequisites  
 To perform this procedure:  
  
-   You must have permission to access the **System Administration** and **Explorer** functional areas.  
  
-   You must be a model administrator. For more information, see [Administrators (Master Data Services)](../../master-data-services/administrators-master-data-services.md).  
  
-   The model and entity must already exist.  
  
### To perform this procedure:  
  
1.  In Excel, load the entity that contains the column (attribute) you want to constrain. For more information, see [Export Data to Excel from Master Data Services](../../master-data-services/microsoft-excel-add-in/export-data-to-excel-from-master-data-services.md).  
  
2.  Click any cell in the column you want to constrain.  
  
3.  In the **Build Model** group, click **Attribute Properties**.  
  
4.  In the **Attribute Properties** dialog box, in the **Attribute type** list, choose **Constrained list (domain-based)**.  
  
5.  In the **Populate the attribute with values from** list:  
  
    -   To use values from the worksheet, choose **the selected column**. A new entity and new staging table will be created with the values from the selected column.  
  
    -   To use values from an existing entity, choose the name of the entity.
    
    If there are more than fifty entities, you can filter and search for an entity. Otherwise, select an entity from the drop-down list.  
  
6.  If you chose **the selected column** in the previous step, in the **New entity name** box, type a name for the new entity. This can be the same as the column (attribute) name.  
  
7.  Click **OK**. Each cell in the column now has a list of values for users to choose from.  
  
## Next Steps  
  
-   To add and delete values in the constrained list, load the entity that the attribute is based on. For more information on loading entities, see [Export Data to Excel from Master Data Services](../../master-data-services/microsoft-excel-add-in/export-data-to-excel-from-master-data-services.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Domain-Based Attributes (Master Data Services)](../../master-data-services/domain-based-attributes-master-data-services.md)   
 [Create an Entity (MDS Add-in for Excel)](../../master-data-services/microsoft-excel-add-in/create-an-entity-mds-add-in-for-excel.md)   
 [Building a Model (MDS Add-in for Excel)](../../master-data-services/microsoft-excel-add-in/building-a-model-mds-add-in-for-excel.md)