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Dropdown

Last Updated: June 10, 2020

Knowledge Base → Forms → Form Building → Field Types → Dropdown

Dropdown fields allow users to select an option from a list of options. The options will only be visible when the user clicks the dropdown arrow, so you can add as many options as needed and it won't take up unnecessary space in your form.
Dropdown Field

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Standard field options

A Dropdown field has the following standard options:

Dropdown Field optionsDropdown Field options

  • Field Type
  • Required
  • Field Key
  • CSS Layout Classes
  • Label position
  • Field Size
— Premium Feature —
  • Unique
  • Read Only
  • Visibility
  • Before & After Input
  • Conditional logic
  • Dynamic default value
  • Lookup

Field-specific options

In addition to the standard field options, Dropdown fields have several field-specific options. Browse the sections below to learn more about the options specific to Dropdown fields.

Add Option

Click this button to add a new option to your field.

Field Options Add Option

Reorder individual checkbox, radio, or dropdown select options by moving the drag and drop icon

Field Options Add Option Reorder

When a duplicate option value is added to the list of options, a popup message is displayed to avoid issues with duplicate option values getting added to a field.

Field Options Add Option Duplicate

Bulk Edit Options

Use the Bulk Edit link to add, edit, or remove a lot of options quickly.

Field Options Bulk Edit
Click the 'Bulk Edit Options' link and type or paste your options into the box that appears. You can also use this option to populate your field choices with a ready-made list of Countries, U.S. States, U.S. State abbreviations, age ranges, levels of satisfaction, importance, or agreement.
Field Options Bulk Edit Options

To bulk edit options with separate values, put the label, followed by a |,  followed by the value.  For example:

Excellent|10
Very Good|8
Fine|5
Not so great|3
Poor|1

Note: you need to check the separate values checkbox, as described below.


— Premium Feature —

Add Other

Allow users to enter free text with an 'Other' option. Click the 'Add Other' box to add this option.
Field Options Add Other

Use separate values

Check this box if you would like to store an entry as a value distinct from the selected value. For example, if your user selects 'black t-shirt', you can store the value as 'black t-shirt $25.00'.Field Options Separate Values
Read more about separate values.

Multiselect

Check 'Multiselect' to allow users to select multiple options from a dropdown. The user needs to hold down command or control to select more than one option.

Autocomplete

Check 'Autocomplete' if you would like your dropdown to use the Chosen script to change the dropdown appearance. Autocomplete allows visitors to begin typing what they are looking for in order to find it more easily.

If you select both 'Multiselect' and 'Autocomplete', the user does not have to hold down command or control to select multiple options.

Please note that autocomplete is disabled on mobile devices.

Default values and field icons

You may set a dynamic default value in your Dropdown field. If you would like to retrieve a value from an entry see the Get a Value From an Entry page. If you would like to set a default value with one of our dynamic shortcodes, see the Default Values page.

The default value icons can be used to specify whether an option selected in a Dropdown field on the form builder page should be a default value or a placeholder. Learn how to set a default value and how to set a placeholder in a Dropdown field.

Field action icons allows you to duplicate, delete, and/or move a field on the form builder page. See field action icons for more information.

Display Dropdown fields

Display the value submitted in a Dropdown field in a form's confirmation message, email, or View.

  • Display submitted option(s): Display the option(s) selected in a Dropdown field.

    [x]

    Replace x with the ID or key of the Dropdown field.

  • Display saved value: If using separate values and you would like to display the 'Saved Value' use:

    [x show="value"]

    Replace x with the ID or key of the Dropdown field.

  • Separator: If 'enable multiselect' is checked, you may use a different separator for Dropdown field values. By default, this will be a comma.

    [x sep=", "]

    Replace x with the ID or key of the Dropdown field.

Related developer hooks

  • Populate a Dropdown field with WordPress posts with the frm_setup_new_fields_vars hook.
  • Remove used options with the frm_setup_new_fields_vars hook.
  • Add user list to a Dropdown field with the frm_setup_new_fields_vars hook.
  • Create a new set of preset Bulk Edit options with the frm_bulk_field_choices hook.
  • Standard field options
  • Field-specific options
    • Add Option
    • Bulk Edit Options
    • Add Other
    • Use separate values
    • Multiselect
    • Autocomplete
  • Default values and field icons
  • Display Dropdown fields
  • Related developer hooks
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