---
name: Select
category: Forms
platforms:
  - android
  - ios
  - web
keywords:
  - on off
  - switch
  - adjuster
  - dropdown menu
  - drop-down menu
  - menu
  - form
  - combobox
  - combo box
  - choice list
  - choicelist
  - list
  - disabled select
  - field label
  - long list of options
  - long option list
  - separate error message
  - ios
  - android
---

# Select

Select lets merchants choose one option from an options menu. Consider select when you have 4 or more options, to avoid cluttering the interface.

---

## Best practices

The select component should:

- Be used for selecting between 4 or more pre-defined options
- Have a default option selected whenever possible
- Use “Select” as a placeholder option only if there’s no logical default option

---

## Content guidelines

### Select label

Labels should:

- Give a short description (1–3 words) of the requested input.
- Be written in sentence case (the first word capitalized, the rest lowercase).
- Avoid punctuation and articles (“the”, “an”, “a”).
- Be independent sentences. To support [internationalization](/patterns-and-guides/internationalization), they should not act as the first part of a sentence that is finished by the component’s options.
- Be descriptive, not instructional. If the selection needs more explanation, use help text below the field.

<!-- usagelist -->

#### Do

- Email address

#### Don’t

- What is your email address?

<!-- end -->

<!-- usagelist -->

#### Do

- Phone number

#### Don’t

- My phone number is:

<!-- end -->

### Select options

Options should:

- Start with “Select” as a placeholder if there isn’t a default option
- Be listed alphabetically or in another logical order so merchants can easily find the option they need
- Be written in sentence case (the first word capitalized, the rest lowercase) and avoid using commas or semicolons at the end of each option
- Be clearly labelled based on what the option will do

---

## Examples

### Default select

<!-- content-for: web -->

Presents a classic dropdown menu or equivalent picker as determined by merchants’ browsers.

```jsx
class SelectExample extends React.Component {
  state = {
    selected: 'today',
  };

  handleChange = (newValue) => {
    this.setState({selected: newValue});
  };

  render() {
    const options = [
      {label: 'Today', value: 'today'},
      {label: 'Yesterday', value: 'yesterday'},
      {label: 'Last 7 days', value: 'lastWeek'},
    ];

    return (
      <Select
        label="Date range"
        options={options}
        onChange={this.handleChange}
        value={this.state.selected}
      />
    );
  }
}
```

<!-- /content-for -->

<!-- content-for: ios -->

The iOS picker expands in-line. Merchants scroll to select the item they want.

![iOS select, and select with option menu](/public_images/components/Select/ios/default@2x.png)

<!-- /content-for -->

<!-- content-for: android -->

The Android menu is similar in behavior to the web dropdown.

![Android select, and select with option menu](/public_images/components/Select/android/default@2x.png)

<!-- /content-for -->

### Select with inline label

<!-- example-for: web -->

Use only for cases where the select must fit on a single line, such as in a toolbar.

```jsx
class InlineLabelExample extends React.Component {
  state = {
    selected: 'newestUpdate',
  };

  handleChange = (newValue) => {
    this.setState({selected: newValue});
  };

  render() {
    const options = [
      {label: 'Newest update', value: 'newestUpdate'},
      {label: 'Oldest update', value: 'oldestUpdate'},
      {label: 'Most spent', value: 'mostSpent'},
      {label: 'Most orders', value: 'mostOrders'},
      {label: 'Last name A–Z', value: 'lastNameAlpha'},
      {label: 'Last name Z–A', value: 'lastNameReverseAlpha'},
    ];

    return (
      <Select
        label="Sort by"
        labelInline
        options={options}
        onChange={this.handleChange}
        value={this.state.selected}
      />
    );
  }
}
```

### Disabled select

Use for selections that aren’t currently available. The surrounding interface should make it clear why the select box is disabled and how to activate it.

```jsx
<Select
  label="Date range"
  disabled
  options={[
    {label: 'Today', value: 'today'},
    {label: 'Yesterday', value: 'yesterday'},
    {label: 'Last 7 days', value: 'lastWeek'},
  ]}
/>
```

<!-- content-for: ios -->

![Disabled select component on iOS](/public_images/components/Select/ios/disabled@2x.png)

<!-- /content-for -->

<!-- content-for: android -->

![Disabled select component on Android](/public_images/components/Select/android/disabled@2x.png)

<!-- /content-for -->

### Select with validation error

<!-- example-for: web -->

Use to let merchants know if there’s a problem with their selection. For selects, a selection is typically invalid only when using a placeholder option (“Select”) and no other selection has been made.

```jsx
class ValidationErrorExample extends React.Component {
  state = {
    value: '',
  };

  handleChange = (value) => {
    this.setState({value});
  };

  render() {
    return (
      <Select
        label="Province"
        options={['Alberta']}
        value={this.state.value}
        onChange={this.handleChange}
        error="Province is required"
      />
    );
  }
}
```

### Select with separate validation error

<!-- example-for: web -->

Use to let merchants know when their select input is invalid in the context of a group of form inputs that the select depends on.

When the `error` prop has a boolean value of `true`, the select component indicates to merchants that their input is invalid without rendering an error message directly below it. It anticipates that an inline error component exists separately within the form.

To render an invalid select and its validation error separately:

- Set a unique identifier to the select component `id` prop
- Set a boolean to the select component `error` prop
- Use an [inline error component](/components/forms/inline-error) to describe the invalid select input and set its `fieldID` prop to the same unique identifier used for the text field `id`

```jsx
class SeparateValidationErrorExample extends React.Component {
  state = {
    weight: '12',
    unit: '',
  };

  render() {
    const {weight, unit} = this.state;
    const unitSelectID = 'unit';
    const errorMessage = this.generateErrorMessage();
    const formGroupMarkup = (
      <Stack vertical spacing="extraTight">
        <FormLayout>
          <FormLayout.Group condensed>
            <TextField
              label="Product weight"
              type="number"
              value={weight}
              onChange={this.handleChange('weight')}
              error={Boolean(!weight && unit)}
            />
            <Select
              id={unitSelectID}
              label="Unit of measure"
              placeholder="Select"
              options={['oz', 'g', 'kg', 'lb']}
              value={unit}
              onChange={this.handleChange('unit')}
              error={Boolean(!unit && weight)}
            />
          </FormLayout.Group>
        </FormLayout>
        <InlineError message={errorMessage} fieldID={unitSelectID} />
      </Stack>
    );

    return <Card sectioned>{formGroupMarkup}</Card>;
  }

  handleChange = (field) => (value) => {
    this.setState({[field]: value});
  };

  generateErrorMessage = () => {
    const {weight, unit} = this.state;
    const weightError =
      !weight && unit ? 'The numeric weight of the product ' : '';
    const unitError =
      !unit && weight ? 'The unit of measure for the product weight' : '';

    if (!weightError && !unitError) {
      return '';
    }

    return (
      <span>
        <TextStyle variation="negative">
          <p>
            {`${weightError}${unitError} is required when weight based shipping rates are enabled. `}
            <Link>Manage shipping</Link>
          </p>
        </TextStyle>
      </span>
    );
  };
}
```

---

## Related components

- To let merchants select one option from a list with less than 4 options, use [the choice list component](/components/forms/choice-list)
- To create a select where merchants can make multiple selections, or to allow advanced formatting of option text, use an [option list](/components/lists-and-tables/option-list) inside a [popover](/components/overlays/popover)
