Drop downs in word

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To add a drop-down list to a Word document, go to Options > Customize Ribbon and enable the Developer tab. Open the Developer tab and click the «Drop-Down List Content Control» button to insert a drop-down button. You can customize the drop-down box by clicking «Properties.»

A drop-down list in a Microsoft Word document lets people select from a predefined items list. Adding this drop-down list is fairly easy, and we’ll show you how to do it.

First, Enable the Developer Menu

The option to add a drop-down list is located in Word’s Developer menu. This menu is hidden by default, so you’ll have to enable it before you can add a list.

Start by opening Word on your Windows or Mac computer. At the lower left of the window, select “Options.” If you already have a document open, select the File menu to reveal the “Options” command.

Select "Options" in Word.

In the “Word Options” window that opens, on the left sidebar, select “Customize Ribbon.”

Select "Customize Ribbon" in Word's "Word Options" window.

In the “Customize Ribbon” pane on the right side of the screen, scroll down the list and enable the “Developer” option.

Enable the "Developer" option on Word's "Word Options" window.

Click “OK” at the bottom of the window to close it.

After adding the Developer menu, you’re now ready to add a drop-down list to your Word document. To start, either open an existing Word document or create a new document.

RELATED: How to Create a Fillable Form With Microsoft Word

In your document, place your insertion point where you want to add the drop-down list.

Select area to add a drop-down list in a Word document.

Next, select the “Developer” menu.

On the “Developer” menu, in the “Controls” group, click the “Drop-Down List Content Control” icon (It looks like an actual drop-down icon.).

Select the drop-down option in Word's "Developer" menu.

You now have a drop-down list in your document.

A drop-down list in a Word document.

Configure Your New Drop-Down List

This drop-down list is not configured and is currently empty. To configure it and add items to it, click the drop-down list to select it. Return to the Developer menu and, in the “Controls” group, click “Properties.”

Word will open the “Content Control Properties” window. Start by entering a title for your list. This will appear at the top of your drop-down list.

Select "Title" on Word's "Content Control Properties" window.

Note: Note: Word automatically fills in the “Tag” field to match the Title field. The tag for a content control object is used mostly by other programs to identify content control data in a document’s XML structure. So, unless you’re building some document automation and specifically need to set the tag, just ignore it. 

Use the “Color” option to select a color scheme for your drop-down list.

Select a drop-down list color on Word's "Content Control Properties" window.

If you want to prevent people from editing your drop-down list, activate the “Content control cannot be deleted” option. Note, though, that unless you lock your document, anyone can go and disable this option.

Lock the drop-down list from Word's "Content Control Properties" window.

You’ll now add items to your drop-down list. To add your first item, under the “Drop-Down List Properties” section on the current window, click the “Add” button.

On the “Add Choice” window, type a new item name into the “Display Name” field. The “Value” field automatically fills itself with the data from the first field, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Then, click “OK” to add your item. Repeat this process for each item that you want to add to your drop-down list.

After you have some items added, you can change their order. To change an item’s position in the list, select that item, and then click either “Move Up” or “Move Down” on the right.

Select "Move Up" or "Move Down" to change the item order.

Finally, click “OK” to save your changes.

Your drop-down list will now display your added items. Click it to test it for yourself.

Delete a Drop-Down List from Microsoft Word

To remove this drop-down list from your document, select the list. Then, from the “Controls” section at the top, click “Properties.” Disable the “Content control cannot be deleted” option, and then click “OK” at the bottom.

Unlock the drop-down list in Word.

Right-click the drop-down list in your document and select “Remove Content Control.” The list will now be removed.

Remove the drop-down list from a Word document.

And that’s how you give people predefined options to select from in your Word documents!


Did you know that you can add checkboxes to your Word documents, too? This is yet another way to let people select items in your documents.

RELATED: How to Add Check Boxes to Word Documents

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To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, date pickers, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

Show the Developer tab

If the developer tab isn’t displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab.

Open a template or a blank document on which to base the form

To save time, start with a form template or start from scratch with a blank template.

  1. Go to File > New.

  2. In Search online templates, type Forms or the type of form you want and press ENTER.

  3. Choose a form template, and then select Create or Download.

  1. Go to File > New.

  2. Select Blank document.

Add content to the form

Go to Developer, and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set properties on controls once inserted.

Note: You can print a form that was created using content controls, but the boxes around the content controls will not print.

In a rich text content control, users can format text as bold or italic, and they can type multiple paragraphs. If you want to limit what users add, insert the plain text content control.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

  2. Select Developer > Rich Text Content Control Rich text control button or Plain Text Content Control Plain text control button.

To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.

A picture control is often used for templates, but you can also add a picture control to a form.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

  2. Select Developer > Picture Content Control Picture control button.

To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.

Use building block controls when you want people to choose a specific block of text. For example, building block controls are helpful when you need to add different boilerplate text depending on the contract’s specific requirements. You can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and then you can use a building block control as the container for the rich text content controls.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

  2. Go to DeveloperBuilding Block Gallery Content Control building block gallery control (or Building Block Content Control).

  3. Select Developer and content controls for the building block.

    Developer tab showing content controls

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.

In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they can type in their own information. In a drop-down list, users can only select from the list of choices.

  1. Go to Developer > Combo Box Content Control combo box button or Drop-Down List Content Control List box button.

  2. Select the content control, and then select Properties.

  3. To create a list of choices, select Add under Drop-Down List Properties.

  4. Type a choice in Display Name, such as Yes, No, or Maybe.

    Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-down list.

  5. Fill in any other properties that you want.

    Note: If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won’t be able to click a choice.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the date picker control.

  2. Select Developer > Date Picker Content Control Date picker button .

To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert the check box control.

  2. Select Developer > Check Box Content Control Check box button.

To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.

Legacy form controls are for compatibility with older versions of Word and consist of legacy form and Active X controls.

  1. Click or tap where you want to insert a legacy control.

  2. Go to Developer > Legacy Forms Legacy control button drop-down.

  3. Select the Legacy Form control or Active X Control that you want to include.

Set or change properties for content controls

Each content control has properties that you can set or change. For example, the Date Picker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date.

  1. Select the content control that you want to change.

  2. Go to Developer > Properties.

    Controls Properties  button

  3. Change the properties that you want.

Add protection to a form

If you want to limit how much others can edit or format a form, use the Restrict Editing command:

  1. Open the form that you want to lock or protect.

  2. Select Developer > Restrict Editing.

    Restrict editing button

  3. After selecting restrictions, select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

    Restrict editing panel 

Advanced Tip:

If you want to protect only parts of the document, separate the document into sections and only protect the sections you want.

To do this, choose Select Sections in the Restrict Editing panel. For more info on sections, see Insert a section break.

Sections selector on Resrict sections panel

Show the Developer tab

If the developer tab isn’t displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab.

Open a template or use a blank document

To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

  1. Go to File > New from Template.

    New from template option

  2. In Search, type form.

  3. Double-click the template you want to use.

  4. Select File > Save As, and pick a location to save the form.

  5. In Save As, type a file name and then select Save.

  1. Go to File > New Document.

    New document option

  2. Go to File > Save As.

  3. In Save As, type a file name and then select Save.

Add content to the form

Go to Developer, and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set Options on controls once inserted. From Options, you can add entry and exit macros to run when users interact with the controls, as well as list items for combo boxes, .

  1. In the document, click or tap where you want to add a content control.

  2. On Developer, select Text Box, Check Box, or Combo Box.

    Developer tab with content controls

  3. To set specific properties for the control, select Options, and set .

  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.

Options let you set common settings, as well as control specific settings. Select a control and then select Options to set up or make changes.

  • Set common properties.

    • Select Macro to Run on lets you choose a recorded or custom macro to run on Entry or Exit from the field.

    • Bookmark Set a unique name or bookmark for each control.

    • Calculate on exit This forces Word to run or refresh any calculations, such as total price when the user exits the field.

    • Add Help Text Give hints or instructions for each field.

    • OK Saves settings and exits the panel.

    • Cancel Forgets changes and exits the panel.

  • Set specific properties for a Text box

    • Type Select form Regular text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, or Calculation.

    • Default text sets optional instructional text that’s displayed in the text box before the user types in the field. Set Text box enabled to allow the user to enter text into the field.

    • Maximum length sets the length of text that a user can enter. The default is Unlimited.

    • Text format can set whether text automatically formats to Uppercase, Lowercase, First capital, or Title case.

    • Text box enabled Lets the user enter text into a field. If there is default text, user text replaces it.

  • Set specific properties for a Check box.

    • Default Value Choose between Not checked or checked as default.

    • Checkbox size Set a size Exactly or Auto to change size as needed.

    • Check box enabled Lets the user check or clear the text box.

  • Set specific properties for a Combo box

    • Drop-down item Type in strings for the list box items. Press + or Enter to add an item to the list.

    • Items in drop-down list Shows your current list. Select an item and use the up or down arrows to change the order, Press to remove a selected item.

    • Drop-down enabled Lets the user open the combo box and make selections.

  1. Go to Developer > Protect Form.

    Protect form button on the Developer tab

    Note: To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.

  2. Save and close the form.

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

  1. Protect the form.

  2. Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

Show the Developer tab

  1. On the right side of the ribbon, select Action pop-up menu, and then select Ribbon Preferences.

  2. Under Customize, select Developer .

Open a template or a document on which to base the form

You can start with a blank document and create your own form. Or, to save time, you can start with a form template.

  1. Go to File > New from Template.

  2. In the left pane, expand Online Templates, and then select Forms.

  3. Double-click the form template that you want to use.

Add content controls to the form

  1. In the document, click where you want to add the control.

  2. On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Text Box, Check Box, or Combo Box.

  3. To set specific properties for the control, select Options, and then configure the properties that you want.

    Note: To create a list of drop-down items in a combo box, select the combo box placeholder, click Options, and then add the items that you want to appear in the drop-down list.

  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.

Add instructional text (optional)

Instructional text (for example, «Type First Name») in a text box can make your form easier to use. By default, no text appears in a text box, but you can add it.

  1. Select the text box control that you want to add instructional text to.

  2. On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Options.

  3. In Default Text, type the instructional text.

  4. Make sure that Fill-in enabled is selected, and then select OK.

Protect the form

  1. On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Protect Form.

    Note: To unprotect the form and continue editing, click Protect Form again.

  2. Save and close the form.

Test the form (optional)

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

  1. Protect the form.

  2. Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

Creating fillable forms isn’t available in Word for the web.

You can create the form with the desktop version of Word with the instructions in Create a fillable form.

When you save the document and reopen it in Word for the web, you’ll see the changes you made.

Need more help?

Make data entry easier or avoid issues like misspellings by adding a drop-down list in Word. It takes only a minute, and we’ll show you how.

You don’t have to make a long, fillable form in Microsoft Word to take advantage of form controls. You may have just one or two spots where you want to add something like a drop-down list. This allows you or your reader to select an item from your choices. It can help eliminate errors with data entry and spelling.

Here, we’ll show you how to add a simple drop-down list to a Word document.

Add the Drop-Down Form Control

You must use the Developer tab to work with form controls in Word. If you don’t see this tab, you can add it easily by following our how-to, How to Enable the Developer Tab on the Microsoft Office Ribbon.

  1. Place your cursor in the document where you want to add the drop-down list.
  2. Go to the Developer tab and click the Drop-Down List Content Control button.
  3. You’ll see the control pop into your document as a box with “Choose an item.” inside. You can then move on to setting up the list.

Click Developer, Drop-Down List Content Control

Next, you’ll add the list of items, give the control a name, and adjust a few other settings per your preference. Select the control, go back to the Developer tab, and click Properties in the Controls section of the ribbon.

Click Developer, Properties

The Content Control Properties window will open, ready for your list details.

Control Properties

Title and Tag: Enter the Title and, optionally, a Tag you want to use for the list.

Show as: By default, this is set to Bounding Box. If you prefer, you can change it to display with Start/End Tags.

Bounding box versus tags

Color and Style: If you want to give your control color or a particular style, you can select those next.

Remove the control: Optionally, you can remove the control when contents are edited by checking the next box.

Locking: You’ll see two locking options for the control. So you can restrict it from being deleted and the contents from being edited by checking one or both of those options.

Add Your List Items

Finally, you’ll add your list of items. You’ll notice that “Choose an item.” is a list option. You can keep it, edit it by clicking Modify, or delete it by clicking Remove.

Modify or Remove a list choice

Next, click Add to insert a list item. The Value will automatically enter as you type the Display Name. Click OK when you finish. Then continue to insert your remaining list items the same way.

Add list choice

Once you have all of your list choices, you can rearrange them using the Move Up and Move Down buttons on the right.

Move Up or Move Down

When you’re happy with your list set up, click OK to apply the properties.

Control Properties, click OK

And that’s all there is to it! To use the drop-down list, click it and choose an option using the arrow.

Choose an item

Limit Data Entry Options Using a Drop-Down List in Word

A drop-down list is a useful form control in Word for simplicity or to avoid data entry issues. You can make sure that only specific items are available for yourself or others to select.

For more, take a look at how to automate forms in Word with custom fields or how to create a simple Word checklist.

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 AsBounding 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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If you are looking for a solution to how to insert a drop-down list in Microsoft Word, here is your stop. This tutorial will discuss a detailed step-by-step procedure to create a drop-down list in your Word documents.

Drop-down list is a type of content control element that allows users to select one of the multiple choices. It displays a list of choices to readers in a drop-down menu from which they can choose their preferred option. If you need to create a Word document with a drop-down menu list, you will have to set up some configurations.

You can follow the below steps in order to insert a drop-down menu list in a Word document:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and go to the File menu and click on Options.

Step 2: Click on the Customize Ribbon option and then from the Customize the Ribbon panel, tick on the Developer checkbox, and press the OK button, as depicted in the below screenshot.

Step 3: You will now see a Developer tab on the main interface in Word. Create a new document or import an existing document in which you want to add a drop-down menu.

Step 4: Now, from the Controls section, click on the Drop-down List Content Control option.

Step 5: A drop-down box will be added to your Word document. You can now customize the drop-down menu by clicking on the Properties button.

Step 6: In the Content Control Properties dialog box, enter title, tag, color, and set up other drop down list properties like Content control cannot be deleted, Content cannot be edited, etc.

Step 7: After that, click on the Add button and enter a choice with its display name and value and then press the OK button.

Step 8: Repeat Step (7) to enter multiple choices to your drop-down list one by one.

You can also modify choices, remove a choice, or rearrange their order.

Step 9: When done adding required choice items, click on the OK button in the Content Control Properties window and a customized drop-down list will be added to your document.

How to create a drop-down list in Word

Similarly, you can also add a check box, combo box, date picker, etc., in Word.

Hopefully, this article helps you to create a drop-down list in Microsoft Word. You just have to tweak some settings and then you can start inserting drop-down menu lists into your documents.

Related read: How to create a drop-down list in Excel and Google Sheets.

Komal has done M.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering. She is a keen follower of the Windows ecosystem & a technical writer since the last six years. She loves finding solutions for day-to-day tech problems.

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