Drop down boxes in word

Microsoft Word is useful for many more things than just composing documents. If you need to get feedback from clients or employees, you can use Word to make it easier for them to answer your questions by including drop-down boxes. Insert as many boxes as you wish to limit answers to yes or no, or to limit their answers to ranges you specify, such as «1-10,» «11-20» or «Not Applicable.»

There are two drop-down box options in Word. The Drop-Down List is to allow the reader to select one of the options you specify. The Combo Box includes the answers you specify, but also gives readers the opportunity to type their own option.

Open the Developer Tools

To insert a drop-down box, you’ll first have to unlock Word’s Developer Tools. Microsoft Word 2010 and later, including Office 365 and Word 2019, come with Developer Tools, but they aren’t visible until you unlock them. To access Developer Tools:

Not only do the developer tools allow you to insert drop-down boxes, you can also insert check boxes, date pickers and text control areas in which readers can enter text where you specify.

Create a Form-Based Template

Open a new document in Word. Alternatively, you can search for a template similar to the one you want to create by typing «form template» in the Search bar after clicking «File» and then «New.»

Create a Drop-Down Box

Once you have saved your template, insert a drop-down box.

In the Properties window that opens, you can enter a title for the box and change its appearance. To add choices to the box for readers to select, click the «Add» button. Enter the options you want to appear, like «Yes,» «No» and «Undecided.»

Once you have added your selections, you can modify them, remove them or move them up and down in the list as needed. Click the «OK» button when you’re done.

If you want to make any changes to the drop-down box, just select it while in Developer Mode and click «Properties» again.

Select «Content control can’t be deleted» to ensure readers cannot delete the drop-down box or its options. Don’t select the «Contents cannot be edited» option. This will prevent readers from selecting an item in the drop-down list.

To change the instructional text, click the current text, which reads by default, «Choose an item,» and replace the text as desired.

Click the «File» tab, select «Save As» and then select OneDrive or a folder to save the Template in. Under the «Save as Type» options, select «Word Template (*.dotx).»

Testing Your Drop-Down Box

To test your drop-down box, save the template as a Word document by clicking «File,» «Save As» and then selecting «Word Document (*docx)» in the Save as Type field.

Click on the drop-down box, and then select an option just as one of your readers would; then save the document.

If you need to make changes, open the DOTX template; modify it as needed, and then save it. Then save a copy as a Word document DOCX file and test it again.

A Word Drop-down list lets you quickly choose one of several options.  It’s a fast way to make new documents with a standardized pattern. Don’t be scared, it’s easy to create even though the word ‘Developer’ is involved.

We’ll show you how to make drop-down lists, change the bland ‘Choose an item.’ default text and how to add other text when the drop-down list doesn’t have what you need.

• Drop down list – Content Control
  • Properties and settings
  • Add Drop Down choices
  • Change ‘Choose an item’ text
• Another drop down list example
• Add something to the list – Go Combo

Drop-down lists can be for anywhere there’s a selection of options.  Choosing a product, department, location.  We’ll stick with the most common use, the honorific ‘Dear ….’ at the start of a letter.

Firstly, you need to ensure that the Developer Tab is enabled. Can’t see the Developer tab? … How to get the Developer Tab in Office apps

Drop down list – Content Control

Now you can select the Developer Tab | Controls Group | Drop-down List Content Control option

From here, a drop-down box will be added to your document which you can then customize. To customize, select the Properties tab under the Controls group.

Properties and settings

Here in the Properties, you can edit the title, box, tag, colour or style for your drop-box.

Show As – Bounding Box is the familiar drop down list.

Start/End tag is more obvious in the edit window.

None – hides the control and shows only the first option.

Color is useful to make the drop down control more obvious in Word.

Style lets you fix how the text will appear when typing into an empty control.

There are also Locking settings such as Content control cannot be deleted, and Contents cannot be edited for your drop box.  Select those as suits your situation.

From there, select the Add button to add your choices for the drop-down list.

Add Drop Down choices

Simply type in your choice in the Display Name and select OK, you can type as many options as you’d like.   

Word will automatically make Display Name and Value the same – that’s what you’ll want in most situations.  Display Name is what appears in the editable document and the final printed doc. Value is saved in the document for programmatic retrieval. 

If you need to make any changes… simply click on the Display Name and select Modify, likewise if you need to delete the choice, you can select remove, or move the choices up and down on the list.

In our example, we’ve selected a whole bunch of different English Honorifics.

Now when you select OK and go to your drop-down box, you can easily select your choice from the list.

Once you have made your choice and click outside of the drop-box, the box will disappear until clicked again.

Change ‘Choose an item’ text

The default ‘Choose an item.’ text that appears in the control could do with a change to explain better what each selection is for.

To change that opening text, click on the Design Mode button then that text can be edited and formatted.

Another drop down list example

At the end of a letter template, there could be another drop-down list.

Add something to the list – Go Combo

The Drop Down List control is good for fixed lists which have the only options possible, if you need let the user type something else, you’ll need a Combo box instead.

More often, there are exceptions which you’ll want to type in specially for each document. 

In our honorifics example, there might be a title missed (Lord High Poobah, Cardinal etc) or you want to make it personal with a first name.

If you want the flexibility to type other text there are two choices:

Allow the drop-down list to be deleted. Then other text can be typed in it’s place.

Use a Combo box control instead.  On the Developer tab it’s the next button to the left of Drop Down box.

The combo box allows other text to be typed into the control box area in addition to selecting one of the drop down options.

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Insert a drop down list in Word

1. Click File > Options.
2. In the opening Word Options dialog box, please (1) click Customize Ribbon in left bar, (2) check Developer in the right box, and (3) click the OK button.
3. Now the Developer tab is added in the Word Ribbon.
4. Now a new drop down list is inserted in current document.

How do you create a drop down list with multiple selections in Word?

Place the cursor in the form where you want the multi-selection list and then go to the Controls Task Pane (View > Design Tasks > Controls). Under the Repeating and Optional section, click Multiple-Selection List Box. Configure the multi-select list box as you would a standard List Box.

How do you insert a drop down list?

Create a drop-down list

1. Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.
2. On the ribbon, click DATA > Data Validation.
3. In the dialog, set Allow to List.
4. Click in Source, type the text or numbers (separated by commas, for a comma-delimited list) that you want in your drop-down list, and click OK.

How do I make a group drop-down list in Word?

Right click the second drop-down list, click Properties to open its Drop-down Form Field Options dialog box, and in the dialog, enter ddCategory into the Bookmark box and click the OK button.

How do I create a cell dropdown rule in data validation?

Add data validation to a cell or a range

1. Select one or more cells to validate.
2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.
3. On the Settings tab, in the Allow box, select List.
4. In the Source box, type your list values, separated by commas.
5. Make sure that the In-cell dropdown check box is selected.

How do I find the source of a drop down list in Excel?

Go to Data > Data Validation. On the Settings tab, click in the Source box, and then on the worksheet that has the entries for your drop-down list, Select cell contents in Excel containing those entries. You’ll see the list range in the Source box change as you select.

How do you create a drop down list in PDF?

Open the PDF file to which you want to add a drop down list. Click once on the “Open” icon on the “File” toolbar. Use the “Look in” drop down list to choose the folder to which the PDF document is saved.

How do I create multiple drop down lists in Word 2010?

How to Create Drop Down Boxes in 2010 Word

1. Open Word 2010 and click the “File” tab.
2. Click the “Developer” tab.
3. Type the word or phrase that you want to appear in the drop down list and click “Ok.” Repeat this step until you have included all of the words for the list.

How do you add check boxes in Word?

Just position your cursor in the document where you want a check box, switch to the “Developer” tab, and then click the “Check Box Content Control” button. You should see a check box appear wherever you placed your cursor.

How do I do multiple choices in Word?

Open up MS Word and on the toolbar, select View, Toolbars, and click on Forms toolbar. The forms toolbar will appear on your document. 2. On your document, type what you would like and when you come to the space that you want the multiple choices to occur go up to the Forms toolbar.

How do I create a drop down list in Excel without source?

Here’s the quickest way to set up a drop down menu in Excel:

1. In your Excel workbook, select the cells that you want to apply the drop down menu to.
2. Click on the Data Validation menu (in the Data tab in the Excel Ribbon), or use the shortcut Alt-A-V-V.
3. In the “Allow:” dropdown menu, select “List”.

How do you create a drop down list in Excel with names?

Select the cell where you want a drop-down list. Click Data Validation, select List, click in Source, press F3, select the name, click OK, and click OK again. Verify the cell contains the drop-down list with the entries provided by the named range, and copy the list to the other cells.

The most common type of drop down menu is a menu bar. On Windows systems, the menu bar is typically located at the top of each open window. On Macintosh systems, it is fixed at the top of the screen.

Why can’t I see drop down list in Excel?

Click the Office Button, then click Excel Options. Click the Advanced Category. Scroll down to the ‘Display Options for This Workbook’ section. Under ‘For Objects, Show’, select All, then click OK.

Where is the source list in data validation?

Find cells with/having the same data validation in Excel

1. Select a cell with the data validation you want to find in other cells.
2. Click Find & Select > Go To Special under Home tab.
3. In the Go To Special dialog box, check the Data validation and Same options, and finally click the OK button. See screenshot:

How do I add a drop down list to a fillable PDF?

If the open document was already converted into a fillable form, Acrobat then shows the “Edit Form” screen. Click the “Add a dropdown list” button in the Forms Toolbar. Click to place the dropdown field into the form. The “Field Name” tag opens, where you can type a name for the dropdown.

How do I create a fillable field in PDF?

How to create fillable PDF files:

1. Open Acrobat: Click on the “Tools” tab and select “Prepare Form.”
2. Select a file or scan a document: Acrobat will automatically analyze your document and add form fields.
3. Add new form fields: Use the top toolbar and adjust the layout using tools in the right pane.
4. Save your fillable PDF:

How do I edit a drop down list in Word 2016?

On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click the Drop-Down List Content Control. Select the content control, and then on the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Properties. From here you can add choices. I hope these instructions help.

How do I check a box in Word 2010?

Click in the document where you want the check box. Activate the Developer tab, then click on the check box in the Controls group. This will insert a check box that the user can tick and clear.

How do you make a multiple choice question?

Designing alternatives

1. Limit the number of alternatives.
2. Make sure there is only one best answer.
3. Make the distractors appealing and plausible.
4. Make the choices gramatically consistent with the stem.
5. Place the choices in some meaningful order.
6. Randomly distribute the correct response.
7. Avoid using “all of the above”.

How do I create a multiple choice form?

Go to the Form section. Click a + Add Element. Add multiple choice, multiple checkboxes, dropdown and/or multiple images to your form.
Read below for a description of each element.

1. Multiple Choice. The multiple choice element lets visitors select one option from a list.
2. Multiple Checkbox.
3. Dropdown.
4. Picture Choice.