Carbon Design System

Select allows users to choose one option from a list of values.

Overview
Live demo
Variants
Formatting
Content
Behaviors
Feedback

Overview

The select component collects user-provided information from a list of options. Selects are usually used in forms where a user submits data and chooses one option from a list.

When to use

Use the select component inside a form where users are selecting from a list of options and submitting data.
When the experience is mostly form-based.

When not to use

It is best practice not to use a select if there are fewer than three options for selection. In this case, use a radio button group instead.

Select versus Dropdown

While the select and dropdown components look similar, they have different functions.

A select presents a list of options from which the users can select only one item from that list. It works best in forms when users choose an option from the select list and submit data. It works best in forms when users choose an option from the select list and submit data.
A dropdown presents a list of options that users can select one or several options from that list. Dropdown options are used for taking an action, filtering, or sorting existing content.

Another important difference between the two components is the underlying code. The select component’s appearance will be determined by the browser being used, while the dropdown component can be styled as needed.

Example of a dropdown list of actional options versus a select list of options for data submission.

Live demo

Theme selector

CodeSandbox React Angular Vue Web Components

Live editor for the Select component


<Select
  defaultValue="placeholder-item"
  helperText="Optional helper text"
  id="select-1"
  invalidText="A valid value is required"
  labelText="Select"
>
  <SelectItem
    text="Choose an option"
    value="placeholder-item"
  />
  <SelectItemGroup
    label="Category 1"
  >
    <SelectItem
      text="Option 1"
      value="option-1"
    />
    <SelectItem
      text="Option 2"
      value="option-2"
    />
  </SelectItemGroup>
  <SelectItemGroup
    label="Category 2"
  >
    <SelectItem
      text="Option 3"
      value="option-3"
    />
    <SelectItem
      text="Option 4"
      value="option-4"
    />
  </SelectItemGroup>
</Select>

Variants

Variant	Purpose
Default	Typically used in forms with a variety of other components.
Inline select	Used when there are multiple select fields within a form.

Default select

Default selects are used in forms with other components.

Inline select

Inline select is useful when you have multiple select fields within a form. Inline selects have less visual weight on a page because they are borderless.

Formatting

Anatomy

Labels: Text that informs the user what to expect in the list of dropdown options.
Default option: Usually a frequent option that users would choose from a select list.
Helper text (optional, except for error and warning): Assistive text to help the user choose the right selection.
Field: Persists when the dropdown is open or closed.
Option: A choice for the user, shown with other choices in a menu.
Menu: A list of options to choose from, displayed as an open state.
Status icon: Indicates the state of the select, either error or warning.
Error or Warning text: It replaces the helper text when an error or warning state appears.

Sizing

Select has three sizes for both variants: small, medium, and large. The width varies in size based on content, layout, and design.

Size	Height (px/rem)	Use case
Small (sm)	32 / 2	Use when space is constricted or when placing a select in a form that is long and complex.
Medium (md)	40 / 2.5	This is the default size and the most commonly used size. When in doubt, use the medium size.
Large (lg)	48 / 3	Use when there is a lot of space to work with. The large size is typically used in simple forms or when a select is placed by itself on a page.

Content

Main elements

Label

Labels inform users what to expect in the list of select options.
Keep the label short and concise by limiting it to a single line of text.

Helper text

Helper text is pertinent information that assists the user in choosing the right selection from the select menu.
Helper text is optional but replaced with warning or error text when these states appear.

Order

The order of the select list should be based on the frequency of use. If applicable, the list should be in alphabetical order or in increasing order relative to the content.

Overflow content

Avoid having multiple lines of text per item in a select menu. The menu items should be no longer than three words.

Behaviors

States

The select has multiple interactive states for both default and inline variants: enabled, hover, focus, open, error, warning, and disabled.

State	When to use
Enabled	When the select is live and a user is not directly interacting with it. This is commonly referred to as the default or normal state of the component. An enabled select field should contain a default value.
Hover	When a user’s mouse cursor is hovering over the field.
Focus	When a user tabs to or clicks on the select field, the field becomes focused, indicating the user has successfully navigated to the component.
Error	When the required select value has not been selected. It can also be triggered due to a system error. This state requires a user response before data can be submitted or saved.
Warning	When you need to call the user’s attention to an exception condition. The condition might not be an error but can cause problems if not resolved.
Disabled	When the user is not allowed to interact with the select due to either permissions, dependencies, or prerequisites. The disabled state completely removes the interactive function from a component. The styling is not subject to WCAG contrast compliance.
Skeleton	Used on an initial page load to indicate that the select has not yet fully loaded.
Read-only	Coming soon!

Interactions

Mouse

Users trigger a dropdown menu to open by clicking the chevron icon or clicking anywhere within the field. Users can close the menu by clicking the chevron icon or clicking outside of the menu. To select an option, the user can click anywhere inside an option container.

Keyboard

The dropdown field is the element that receives focus. All keyboard interactions happen from this element.
Users can open the dropdown menu by pressing Space, Enter, the Down arrow, or the Up arrow.
Users can move the highlighted option to the next option by pressing the Down arrow.
Users can move the highlighted option to the previous option by pressing the Up arrow.
Users can close the dropdown menu by pressing Escape, Space, or Enter.

Validation

Invalid

Real-time validation helps to streamline the process of filling out a form. The error state is triggered if the data is invalid or a required field is left empty. The error state has three visual indicators to signify invalid content: a red border, an error icon indicator, and an error message.

Default selection

By default, the selected option is usually the first item in alphabetical order. The default selection could also be a call-to-action that asks users to select an option from the menu.

If there are fewer than three options to choose from, use a radio button group instead.
If multi-select is necessary, use dropdown instead. Dropdown options are used to take an action, navigating outside of the current context, filtering or sorting existing content.

Feedback

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