Combobox
<wa-combobox>
Comboboxes combine a text input with a listbox, allowing users to filter and select from predefined options or enter custom values.
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Actual Human™ Support
This component follows the ARIA APG Combobox pattern and uses live region announcements for result filtering in screen readers.
<wa-combobox name="foo" label="Type to filter..."> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-4">Option 4</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-5">Option 5</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-6">Option 6</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
This component works with standard <form> elements. Please refer to the section on form controls to learn more about form submission and client-side validation.
Examples
Labels
Use the label attribute to give the combobox an accessible label. For labels that contain HTML, use the label slot instead.
<wa-combobox label="Choose a fruit"> <wa-option value="apple">Apple</wa-option> <wa-option value="banana">Banana</wa-option> <wa-option value="orange">Orange</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Hint
Add descriptive hint to a combobox with the hint attribute. For hints that contain HTML, use the hint slot instead.
<wa-combobox label="Favorite Fruit" hint="Start typing to filter options."> <wa-option value="apple">Apple</wa-option> <wa-option value="banana">Banana</wa-option> <wa-option value="cherry">Cherry</wa-option> <wa-option value="grape">Grape</wa-option> <wa-option value="orange">Orange</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Placeholders
Use the placeholder attribute to add a placeholder.
<wa-combobox placeholder="Type to search..."> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Clearable
Use the with-clear attribute to make the control clearable. The clear button only appears when the combobox has a value or text input.
<wa-combobox with-clear value="option-1"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Allow Custom Values
By default, the combobox only accepts values that match an option. Use allow-custom-value to let users enter arbitrary values.
<wa-combobox allow-custom-value label="Enter or select a color" placeholder="Type a color..."> <wa-option value="red">Red</wa-option> <wa-option value="green">Green</wa-option> <wa-option value="blue">Blue</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Creating New Items
Use the allow-create attribute to let users create new options on the fly. When the user types text that doesn't match any existing option, a "Create [value]" option appears at the bottom of the listbox. Selecting it adds a new <wa-option> to the DOM and selects it.
<wa-combobox allow-create label="Select or create a tag" placeholder="Type to search or create..."> <wa-option value="bug">Bug</wa-option> <wa-option value="feature">Feature</wa-option> <wa-option value="docs">Docs</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
This also works with multiple mode.
<wa-combobox allow-create multiple with-clear label="Select or create tags" placeholder="Type to search or create..."> <wa-option value="bug" selected>Bug</wa-option> <wa-option value="feature">Feature</wa-option> <wa-option value="docs">Docs</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
For advanced use cases, listen for the wa-create event and call preventDefault() to handle creation yourself. This is useful when you need to normalize values, validate input, or call an API before creating the option.
<wa-combobox allow-create label="Add a tag" placeholder="Type to create..." class="custom-create-combobox"> <wa-option value="bug">Bug</wa-option> <wa-option value="feature">Feature</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <script type="module"> await customElements.whenDefined('wa-combobox'); const combobox = document.querySelector('.custom-create-combobox'); combobox.addEventListener('wa-create', event => { event.preventDefault(); const { inputValue } = event.detail; // Normalize the value (e.g. lowercase, slugify) const option = document.createElement('wa-option'); option.value = inputValue.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-'); option.textContent = inputValue; combobox.appendChild(option); combobox.value = option.value; }); </script>
Custom Filter Function
You can provide a custom filter function to control how options are matched. The function receives the option element and the current query string, and should return true to show the option or false to hide it.
By default, the combobox filters options that contain the query anywhere in the label, but you can customize this to implement fuzzy matching, prefix-only matching, or apply any other filtering logic.
<wa-combobox label="Search (includes match)" placeholder="Search anywhere in text..." class="custom-filter"> <wa-option value="apple">Apple</wa-option> <wa-option value="pineapple">Pineapple</wa-option> <wa-option value="banana">Banana</wa-option> <wa-option value="grape">Grape</wa-option> <wa-option value="grapefruit">Grapefruit</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <script type="module"> await customElements.whenDefined('wa-combobox'); const combobox = document.querySelector('.custom-filter'); // Custom filter that matches anywhere in the label (not just the start) combobox.filter = (option, query) => { return option.label.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()); }; </script>
Appearance
Use the appearance attribute to change the combobox's visual appearance.
<wa-combobox appearance="filled" placeholder="Filled"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox appearance="filled-outlined" placeholder="Filled Outlined"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox appearance="outlined" placeholder="Outlined"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Pill
Use the pill attribute to give comboboxes rounded edges.
<wa-combobox pill placeholder="Search..."> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Disabled
Use the disabled attribute to disable a combobox.
<wa-combobox placeholder="Disabled" disabled> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Multiple
To allow multiple options to be selected, use the multiple attribute. In multiple mode, selected options appear as tags and the input is used for filtering. It's a good practice to use with-clear when this option is enabled.
<wa-combobox label="Select Multiple" multiple with-clear placeholder="Type to filter..."> <wa-option value="option-1" selected>Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2" selected>Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-4">Option 4</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-5">Option 5</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-6">Option 6</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
In multiple mode, the text input is used for filtering options only. After selecting an option, the input is cleared so you can continue filtering and selecting more options.
Setting Initial Values
Use the selected attribute on individual options to set the initial selection, similar to native HTML.
<wa-combobox label="Pre-selected option"> <wa-option value="option-1" selected>Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-4">Option 4</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
For multiple selections, apply it to all selected options.
<wa-combobox multiple with-clear> <wa-option value="option-1" selected>Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2" selected>Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-4">Option 4</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Framework users can bind directly to the value property for reactive data binding and form state management.
Grouping Options
Use <wa-divider> to group listbox items visually. You can also use <small> to provide labels, but they won't be announced by most assistive devices.
<wa-combobox label="Grouped Options"> <small>Fruits</small> <wa-option value="apple">Apple</wa-option> <wa-option value="banana">Banana</wa-option> <wa-option value="orange">Orange</wa-option> <wa-divider></wa-divider> <small>Vegetables</small> <wa-option value="carrot">Carrot</wa-option> <wa-option value="broccoli">Broccoli</wa-option> <wa-option value="spinach">Spinach</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Sizes
Use the size attribute to change a combobox's size.
<wa-combobox placeholder="Extra Small" size="xs"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Small" size="s"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Medium" size="m"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Large" size="l"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Extra Large" size="xl"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Placement
The preferred placement of the combobox's listbox can be set with the placement attribute. Note that the actual position may vary to ensure the panel remains in the viewport. Valid placements are top and bottom.
<wa-combobox placement="top" placeholder="Opens above"> <wa-option value="option-1">Option 1</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-2">Option 2</wa-option> <wa-option value="option-3">Option 3</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Start & End Decorations
Use the start and end slots to add presentational elements like <wa-icon> within the combobox.
<wa-combobox placeholder="Search locations..." size="s" with-clear> <wa-icon slot="start" name="magnifying-glass"></wa-icon> <wa-icon slot="end" name="location-dot"></wa-icon> <wa-option value="new-york">New York</wa-option> <wa-option value="los-angeles">Los Angeles</wa-option> <wa-option value="chicago">Chicago</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Search locations..." size="m" with-clear> <wa-icon slot="start" name="magnifying-glass"></wa-icon> <wa-icon slot="end" name="location-dot"></wa-icon> <wa-option value="new-york">New York</wa-option> <wa-option value="los-angeles">Los Angeles</wa-option> <wa-option value="chicago">Chicago</wa-option> </wa-combobox> <br /> <wa-combobox placeholder="Search locations..." size="l" with-clear> <wa-icon slot="start" name="magnifying-glass"></wa-icon> <wa-icon slot="end" name="location-dot"></wa-icon> <wa-option value="new-york">New York</wa-option> <wa-option value="los-angeles">Los Angeles</wa-option> <wa-option value="chicago">Chicago</wa-option> </wa-combobox>
Custom Tags
When multiple options can be selected, you can provide custom tags by passing a function to the getTag property. Your function can return a string of HTML, a Lit Template, or an HTMLElement. The getTag() function will be called for each option. The first argument is an <wa-option> element and the second argument is the tag's index (its position in the tag list).
Remember that custom tags are rendered in a shadow root. To style them, you can use the style attribute in your template or you can add your own parts and target them with the ::part() selector.
<wa-combobox placeholder="Select contacts..." multiple with-clear class="custom-tag-combobox"> <wa-option value="email" selected> <wa-icon slot="start" name="envelope" variant="solid"></wa-icon> Email </wa-option> <wa-option value="phone" selected> <wa-icon slot="start" name="phone" variant="solid"></wa-icon> Phone </wa-option> <wa-option value="chat"> <wa-icon slot="start" name="comment" variant="solid"></wa-icon> Chat </wa-option> </wa-combobox> <script type="module"> await customElements.whenDefined('wa-combobox'); const combobox = document.querySelector('.custom-tag-combobox'); await combobox.updateComplete; combobox.getTag = (option, index) => { // Use the same icon used in wa-option const name = option.querySelector('wa-icon[slot="start"]').name; // You can return a string, a Lit Template, or an HTMLElement here // Important: include data-value so the tag can be removed properly return ` <wa-tag with-remove data-value="${option.value}"> <wa-icon name="${name}"></wa-icon> ${option.label} </wa-tag> `; }; </script>
Be sure you trust the content you are outputting! Passing unsanitized user input to getTag() can result in XSS vulnerabilities.
When using custom tags with with-remove, you must include the data-value attribute set to the option's value. This allows the select to identify which option to deselect when the tag's remove button is clicked.
Importing
If you're using the autoloader or a hosted project, components load on demand — no manual import needed. To cherry-pick a component manually, use one of the following snippets.
Import this component directly from the CDN:
import 'https://ka-f.webawesome.com/[email protected]/components/combobox/combobox.js';
After installing Web Awesome via npm, import this component:
import '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/components/combobox/combobox.js';
If you're self-hosting Web Awesome, import this component from your server:
import './webawesome/dist/components/combobox/combobox.js';
To import this component for React 18 or below, use the following code:
import WaCombobox from '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/react/combobox/index.js';
Slots
Learn more about using slots.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| (default) | The listbox options. Must be <wa-option> elements. You can use <wa-divider> to group items visually. |
clear-icon
|
An icon to use in lieu of the default clear icon. |
end
|
An element, such as <wa-icon>, placed at the end of the combobox. |
expand-icon
|
The icon to show when the control is expanded and collapsed. Rotates on open and close. |
hint
|
Text that describes how to use the input. Alternatively, you can use the hint attribute. |
label
|
The input's label. Alternatively, you can use the label attribute. |
start
|
An element, such as <wa-icon>, placed at the start of the combobox. |
Attributes & Properties
Learn more about attributes and properties.
| Name | Description | Reflects | |
|---|---|---|---|
allowCreateallow-create |
When true, if the user types text that doesn't match any existing option, a "Create [value]" option appears in the
listbox. Selecting it creates a new
<wa-option> in the DOM and selects it. A cancelable wa-create event fires
before creation.Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
allowCustomValueallow-custom-value |
When true, allows the user to enter a value that doesn't match any of the options. Only applies to single-select
comboboxes. When false, the combobox will only accept values that match an option.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
appearanceappearance |
The combobox's visual appearance.
Type
'filled' | 'outlined' | 'filled-outlined'Default
'outlined' |
|
|
autocapitalizeautocapitalize |
Controls whether and how text input is automatically capitalized as it is entered/edited by the user.
Type
'off' | 'none' | 'on' | 'sentences' | 'words' | 'characters' |
||
autocorrectautocorrect |
Indicates whether the browser's autocorrect feature is on or off. When set as an attribute, use
"off" or "on".
When set as a property, use true or false.Type
boolean |
||
css |
One or more CSSResultGroup to include in the component's shadow root. Host styles are automatically prepended.
Type
CSSResultGroup | undefinedDefault
[styles, formControlStyles, sizeStyles] |
||
disableddisabled |
Disables the combobox control.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
enterkeyhintenterkeyhint |
Used to customize the label or icon of the Enter key on virtual keyboards.
Type
'enter' | 'done' | 'go' | 'next' | 'previous' | 'search' | 'send' |
||
filter |
A function that customizes how options are filtered based on the input value. The function receives the option
and the current input query string. Return
true to include the option in the filtered list, false to exclude.
By default, options are filtered by checking if the option's label contains the query (case-insensitive).Type
((option: WaOption, query: string) => boolean) | nullDefault
null |
||
form |
By default, form controls are associated with the nearest containing
<form> element. This attribute allows you
to place the form control outside of a form and associate it with the form that has this id. The form must be in
the same document or shadow root for this to work.Type
HTMLFormElement | null |
||
getTag |
A function that customizes the tags to be rendered when multiple=true. The first argument is the option, the second
is the current tag's index. The function should return either a Lit TemplateResult or a string containing trusted
HTML of the symbol to render at the specified value.
Type
(option: WaOption, index: number) => TemplateResult | string | HTMLElement |
||
hinthint |
The combobox's hint. If you need to display HTML, use the
hint slot instead.Type
stringDefault
'' |
||
inputmodeinputmode |
Tells the browser what type of data will be entered by the user, allowing it to display the appropriate virtual
keyboard on supportive devices.
Type
'none' | 'text' | 'decimal' | 'numeric' | 'tel' | 'search' | 'email' | 'url' |
||
inputValue |
The current text value in the input field.
Type
stringDefault
'' |
||
labellabel |
The combobox's label. If you need to display HTML, use the
label slot instead.Type
stringDefault
'' |
||
maxOptionsVisiblemax-options-visible |
The maximum number of selected options to show when
multiple is true. After the maximum, "+n" will be shown to
indicate the number of additional items that are selected. Set to 0 to remove the limit.Type
numberDefault
3 |
||
multiplemultiple |
Allows more than one option to be selected.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
|
|
namename |
The name of the combobox, submitted as a name/value pair with form data.
Type
string | nullDefault
'' |
|
|
openopen |
Indicates whether or not the combobox is open. You can toggle this attribute to show and hide the menu, or you can
use the
show() and hide() methods and this attribute will reflect the combobox's open state.Type
booleanDefault
false |
|
|
pillpill |
Draws a pill-style combobox with rounded edges.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
|
|
placeholderplaceholder |
Placeholder text to show as a hint when the combobox is empty.
Type
stringDefault
'' |
||
placementplacement |
The preferred placement of the combobox's menu. Note that the actual placement may vary as needed to keep the
listbox inside of the viewport.
Type
'top' | 'bottom'Default
'bottom' |
|
|
requiredrequired |
The combobox's required attribute.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
|
|
sizesize |
The combobox's size.
Type
'xs' | 's' | 'm' | 'l' | 'xl' | 'small' | 'medium' | 'large'Default
'm' |
|
|
spellcheckspellcheck |
Enables spell checking on the combobox.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
validationTarget |
Where to anchor native constraint validation
Type
undefined | HTMLElement |
||
validators |
Validators are static because they have
observedAttributes, essentially attributes to "watch"
for changes. Whenever these attributes change, we want to be notified and update the validator.Type
Validator[]Default
[] |
||
valuevalue |
The combobox's value. This will be a string for single select or an array for multi-select.
|
||
withClearwith-clear |
Adds a clear button when the combobox is not empty.
Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
withHintwith-hint |
Only required for SSR. Set to
true if you're slotting in a hint element so the server-rendered markup
includes the hint before the component hydrates on the client.Type
booleanDefault
false |
||
withLabelwith-label |
Only required for SSR. Set to
true if you're slotting in a label element so the server-rendered markup
includes the label before the component hydrates on the client.Type
booleanDefault
false |
Methods
Learn more about methods.
| Name | Description | Arguments |
|---|---|---|
blur() |
Removes focus from the control. | |
focus() |
Sets focus on the control. |
options: FocusOptions
|
formStateRestoreCallback() |
Called when the browser is trying to restore element’s state to state in which case reason is "restore", or when the browser is trying to fulfill autofill on behalf of user in which case reason is "autocomplete". In the case of "restore", state is a string, File, or FormData object previously set as the second argument to setFormValue. |
state: string | File | FormData | null,
reason: 'autocomplete' | 'restore'
|
hide() |
Hides the listbox. | |
resetValidity() |
Reset validity is a way of removing manual custom errors and native validation. | |
setCustomValidity() |
Do not use this when creating a "Validator". This is intended for end users of components. We track manually defined custom errors so we don't clear them on accident in our validators. |
message: string
|
show() |
Shows the listbox. |
Events
Learn more about events.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
blur |
Emitted when the control loses focus. |
change |
Emitted when the control's value changes. |
focus |
Emitted when the control gains focus. |
input |
Emitted when the control receives input. |
wa-after-hide |
Emitted after the combobox's menu closes and all animations are complete. |
wa-after-show |
Emitted after the combobox's menu opens and all animations are complete. |
wa-clear |
Emitted when the control's value is cleared. |
wa-create |
Emitted when the user selects the "create" option. Call event.preventDefault() to handle creation yourself. The event detail contains { inputValue: string }. |
wa-hide |
Emitted when the combobox's menu closes. |
wa-invalid |
Emitted when the form control has been checked for validity and its constraints aren't satisfied. |
wa-show |
Emitted when the combobox's menu opens. |
CSS custom properties
Learn more about CSS custom properties.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
--hide-duration |
The duration of the hide animation.
Default
100ms
|
--show-duration |
The duration of the show animation.
Default
100ms
|
--tag-max-size |
When using
multiple, the max size of tags before their content is truncated.
Default
10ch
|
Custom States
Learn more about custom states.
| Name | Description | CSS selector |
|---|---|---|
blank |
The combobox is empty. |
:state(blank)
|
disabled |
The combobox is disabled. |
:state(disabled)
|
CSS parts
Learn more about CSS parts.
| Name | Description | CSS selector |
|---|---|---|
clear-button |
The clear button. |
::part(clear-button)
|
combobox |
The container the wraps the start, end, value, clear icon, and expand button. |
::part(combobox)
|
combobox-input |
The text input element. |
::part(combobox-input)
|
end |
The container that wraps the end slot. |
::part(end)
|
expand-icon |
The container that wraps the expand icon. |
::part(expand-icon)
|
form-control |
The form control that wraps the label, input, and hint. |
::part(form-control)
|
form-control-input |
The combobox's wrapper. |
::part(form-control-input)
|
form-control-label |
The label's wrapper. |
::part(form-control-label)
|
hint |
The hint's wrapper. |
::part(hint)
|
listbox |
The listbox container where options are slotted. |
::part(listbox)
|
start |
The container that wraps the start slot. |
::part(start)
|
tag |
The individual tags that represent each multiselect option. |
::part(tag)
|
tag__content |
The tag's content part. |
::part(tag__content)
|
tag__remove-button |
The tag's remove button. |
::part(tag__remove-button)
|
tag__remove-button__base |
The tag's remove button base part. |
::part(tag__remove-button__base)
|
tags |
The container that houses option tags when multiselect is used. |
::part(tags)
|
Dependencies
This component automatically imports the following elements. Sub-dependencies, if any exist, will also be included in this list.