Select

<wa-select>

Since 2.0

stable

Selects allow you to choose items from a menu of predefined options.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3
  Option 4
  Option 5
  Option 6

<wa-select>
  <wa-option value="">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-select>

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 Jump to heading

Labels Jump to heading

Use the label attribute to give the select an accessible label. For labels that contain HTML, use the label slot instead.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select label="Select one">
  <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-select>

Hint Jump to heading

Add descriptive hint to a select with the hint attribute. For hints that contain HTML, use the hint slot instead.

                
  Novice
  Intermediate
  Advanced

<wa-select label="Experience" hint="Please tell us your skill level.">
  <wa-option value="1">Novice</wa-option>
  <wa-option value="2">Intermediate</wa-option>
  <wa-option value="3">Advanced</wa-option>
</wa-select>

Placeholders Jump to heading

Use the placeholder attribute to add a placeholder.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select placeholder="Select one">
  <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-select>

Clearable Jump to heading

Use the with-clear attribute to make the control clearable. The clear button only appears when an option is selected.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select 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-select>

Appearance Jump to heading

Use the appearance attribute to change the select's visual appearance.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select appearance="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-select>
<br />
<wa-select appearance="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-select>
<br />
<wa-select appearance="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-select>

Pill Jump to heading

Use the pill attribute to give selects rounded edges.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select pill>
  <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-select>

Disabled Jump to heading

Use the disabled attribute to disable a select.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select 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-select>

To allow multiple options to be selected, use the multiple attribute. It's a good practice to use with-clear when this option is enabled. You can select multiple options by adding the selected attribute to individual options.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3
  Option 4
  Option 5
  Option 6

<wa-select label="Select a Few" 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" selected>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-select>

Selecting multiple options may result in wrapping, causing the control to expand vertically. You can use the max-options-visible attribute to control the maximum number of selected options to show at once.

Setting Initial Values Jump to heading

Use the selected attribute on individual options to set the initial selection, similar to native HTML.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3
  Option 4

<wa-select>
  <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-select>

For multiple selections, apply it to all selected options.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3
  Option 4

<wa-select 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-select>

Framework users can bind directly to the value property for reactive data binding and form state management.

Grouping Options Jump to heading

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.

                
  Section 1
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3
  
  Section 2
  Option 4
  Option 5
  Option 6

<wa-select>
  <small>Section 1</small>
  <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-divider></wa-divider>
  <small>Section 2</small>
  <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-select>

Sizes Jump to heading

Use the size attribute to change a select's size.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select placeholder="Small" size="small">
  <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-select>

<br />

<wa-select placeholder="Medium" size="medium">
  <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-select>

<br />

<wa-select placeholder="Large" size="large">
  <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-select>

Placement Jump to heading

The preferred placement of the select'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.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select placement="top">
  <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-select>

Start & End Decorations Jump to heading

Use the start and end slots to add presentational elements like <wa-icon> within the combobox.

                
  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

  Option 1
  Option 2
  Option 3

<wa-select placeholder="Small" size="small" with-clear>
  <wa-icon slot="start" name="house" variant="solid"></wa-icon>
  <wa-icon slot="end" name="flag-checkered"></wa-icon>
  <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-select>
<br />
<wa-select placeholder="Medium" size="medium" with-clear>
  <wa-icon slot="start" name="house" variant="solid"></wa-icon>
  <wa-icon slot="end" name="flag-checkered"></wa-icon>
  <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-select>
<br />
<wa-select placeholder="Large" size="large" with-clear>
  <wa-icon slot="start" name="house" variant="solid"></wa-icon>
  <wa-icon slot="end" name="flag-checkered"></wa-icon>
  <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-select>

Custom Tags Jump to heading

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.

                
    Email
  
    Phone
  
    Chat

<wa-select placeholder="Select one" multiple with-clear class="custom-tag">
  <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-select>

<script type="module">
  await customElements.whenDefined('wa-select');
  const select = document.querySelector('.custom-tag');
  await select.updateComplete;

  select.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
    return `
      <wa-tag with-remove>
        <wa-icon name="${name}" style="padding-inline-end: .5rem;"></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.

Lazy loading options Jump to heading

Lazy loading options works similarly to native <select> elements. The select component handles various scenarios intelligently:

Basic lazy loading scenarios: Jump to heading

Empty select with value: If a <wa-select> is created without any options but given a value attribute, its value will be "" initially. When options are added later, if any option has a value matching the select's value attribute, the select's value will update to match.
Multiple select with partial options: If a <wa-select multiple> has an initial value with multiple options, but only some options are present in the DOM, it will respect only the available options. When additional selected options are loaded later (and the user hasn't changed the selection), those options will be automatically added to the selection.

Here's a comprehensive example showing different lazy loading scenarios:

                
      Bar
      Baz
    
    Add "foo" option
  
    Add "foo" option
  
      Bar
      Baz
    
    Add "foo" option (selected)
  
    Add "foo" option
  
    Reset
    Show FormData

<form id="lazy-options-example">
  <div>
    <wa-select name="select-1" value="foo" label="Single select (with existing options)">
      <wa-option value="bar">Bar</wa-option>
      <wa-option value="baz">Baz</wa-option>
    </wa-select>
    <br />
    <wa-button type="button">Add "foo" option</wa-button>
  </div>

  <br />

  <div>
    <wa-select name="select-2" value="foo" label="Single select (with no existing options)"> </wa-select>
    <br />
    <wa-button type="button">Add "foo" option</wa-button>
  </div>

  <br />

  <div>
    <wa-select name="select-3" multiple label="Multiple Select (with existing selected options)">
      <wa-option value="bar" selected>Bar</wa-option>
      <wa-option value="baz" selected>Baz</wa-option>
    </wa-select>
    <br />
    <wa-button type="button">Add "foo" option (selected)</wa-button>
  </div>

  <br />

  <div>
    <wa-select name="select-4" value="foo" multiple label="Multiple Select (with no existing options)"> </wa-select>
    <br />
    <wa-button type="button">Add "foo" option</wa-button>
  </div>

  <br /><br />

  <div style="display: flex; gap: 16px;">
    <wa-button type="reset">Reset</wa-button>
    <wa-button type="submit" variant="brand">Show FormData</wa-button>
  </div>

  <br />

  <pre hidden><code id="lazy-options-example-form-data"></code></pre>

  <br />
</form>

<script type="module">
  function addFooOption(e) {
    const addFooButton = e.target.closest("wa-button[type='button']");
    if (!addFooButton) {
      return;
    }
    const select = addFooButton.parentElement.querySelector('wa-select');

    if (select.querySelector("wa-option[value='foo']")) {
      // Foo already exists. no-op.
      return;
    }

    const option = document.createElement('wa-option');
    option.setAttribute('value', 'foo');
    option.selected = true;
    option.innerText = 'Foo';

    // For the multiple select with existing selected options, make the new option selected
    if (select.getAttribute('name') === 'select-3') {
      option.selected = true;
    }

    select.append(option);
  }

  function handleLazySubmit(event) {
    event.preventDefault();

    const formData = new FormData(event.target);
    const codeElement = document.querySelector('#lazy-options-example-form-data');

    const obj = {};
    for (const key of formData.keys()) {
      const val = formData.getAll(key).length > 1 ? formData.getAll(key) : formData.get(key);
      obj[key] = val;
    }

    codeElement.textContent = JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2);

    const preElement = codeElement.parentElement;
    preElement.removeAttribute('hidden');
  }

  const container = document.querySelector('#lazy-options-example');
  container.addEventListener('click', addFooOption);
  container.addEventListener('submit', handleLazySubmit);
</script>

The key principle is that the select component prioritizes user interactions and explicit selections over programmatic changes, ensuring a predictable user experience even with dynamically loaded content.

Slots Jump to heading

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.
`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.
`end`	An element, such as `<wa-icon>`, placed at the end of the combobox.
`clear-icon`	An icon to use in lieu of the default clear icon.
`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.

Attributes & Properties Jump to heading

Learn more about attributes and properties.

Name	Description	Reflects
`validationTarget`	Where to anchor native constraint validation
`name` `name`	The name of the select, submitted as a name/value pair with form data. Type `string` Default `''`
`value` `value`	The select's value. This will be a string for single select or an array for multi-select.
`size` `size`	The select's size. Type `'small' \| 'medium' \| 'large'` Default `'medium'`
`placeholder` `placeholder`	Placeholder text to show as a hint when the select is empty. Type `string` Default `''`
`multiple` `multiple`	Allows more than one option to be selected. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`maxOptionsVisible` `max-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 `number` Default `3`
`disabled` `disabled`	Disables the select control. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`withClear` `with-clear`	Adds a clear button when the select is not empty. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`open` `open`	Indicates whether or not the select 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 select's open state. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`appearance` `appearance`	The select's visual appearance. Type `'filled' \| 'outlined' \| 'filled-outlined'` Default `'outlined'`
`pill` `pill`	Draws a pill-style select with rounded edges. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`label` `label`	The select's label. If you need to display HTML, use the `label` slot instead. Type `string` Default `''`
`placement` `placement`	The preferred placement of the select's menu. Note that the actual placement may vary as needed to keep the listbox inside of the viewport. Type `'top' \| 'bottom'` Default `'bottom'`
`hint` `hint`	The select's hint. If you need to display HTML, use the `hint` slot instead. Type `string` Default `''`
`withLabel` `with-label`	Used for SSR purposes when a label is slotted in. Will show the label on first render. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`withHint` `with-hint`	Used for SSR purposes when hint is slotted in. Will show the hint on first render. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`form` `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 `null` Default `null`
`required` `required`	The select's required attribute. Type `boolean` Default `false`
`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`

Methods Jump to heading

Learn more about methods.

Name	Description	Arguments
`show()`	Shows the listbox.
`hide()`	Hides the listbox.
`focus()`	Sets focus on the control.	`options: FocusOptions`
`blur()`	Removes focus from the control.

Events Jump to heading

Learn more about events.

Name	Description
`input`	Emitted when the control receives input.
`change`	Emitted when the control's value changes.
`focus`	Emitted when the control gains focus.
`blur`	Emitted when the control loses focus.
`wa-clear`	Emitted when the control's value is cleared.
`wa-show`	Emitted when the select's menu opens.
`wa-after-show`	Emitted after the select's menu opens and all animations are complete.
`wa-hide`	Emitted when the select's menu closes.
`wa-after-hide`	Emitted after the select's menu closes and all animations are complete.
`wa-invalid`	Emitted when the form control has been checked for validity and its constraints aren't satisfied.

CSS custom properties Jump to heading

Learn more about CSS custom properties.

Name	Description
`--show-duration`	The duration of the show animation. Default `100ms`
`--hide-duration`	The duration of the hide animation. Default `100ms`
`--tag-max-size`	When using `multiple`, the max size of tags before their content is truncated. Default `10ch`

Custom States Jump to heading

Learn more about custom states.

Name	Description	CSS selector
`blank`	The select is empty.	`:state(blank)`

CSS parts Jump to heading

Learn more about CSS parts.

Name	Description	CSS selector
`form-control`	The form control that wraps the label, input, and hint.	`::part(form-control)`
`form-control-label`	The label's wrapper.	`::part(form-control-label)`
`form-control-input`	The select's wrapper.	`::part(form-control-input)`
`hint`	The hint's wrapper.	`::part(hint)`
`combobox`	The container the wraps the start, end, value, clear icon, and expand button.	`::part(combobox)`
`start`	The container that wraps the `start` slot.	`::part(start)`
`end`	The container that wraps the `end` slot.	`::part(end)`
`display-input`	The element that displays the selected option's label, an `<input>` element.	`::part(display-input)`
`listbox`	The listbox container where options are slotted.	`::part(listbox)`
`tags`	The container that houses option tags when `multiselect` is used.	`::part(tags)`
`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)`
`clear-button`	The clear button.	`::part(clear-button)`
`expand-icon`	The container that wraps the expand icon.	`::part(expand-icon)`

Dependencies Jump to heading

This component automatically imports the following elements. Sub-dependencies, if any exist, will also be included in this list.

Importing Jump to heading

Autoloading components via projects is the recommended way to import components. If you prefer to do it manually, use one of the following code snippets.

CDN

npm

React

Let your project code do the work! Sign up for free to use a project with your very own CDN — it's the fastest and easiest way to use Web Awesome.

To manually import this component from NPM, use the following code.

import '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/components/select/select.js';

To manually import this component from React, use the following code.

import WaSelect from '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/react/select';

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Layout

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Web Awesome

Select

Examples Jump to heading

Labels Jump to heading

Hint Jump to heading

Placeholders Jump to heading

Clearable Jump to heading

Appearance Jump to heading

Pill Jump to heading

Disabled Jump to heading

Multiple Jump to heading

Setting Initial Values Jump to heading

Grouping Options Jump to heading

Sizes Jump to heading

Placement Jump to heading

Start & End Decorations Jump to heading

Custom Tags Jump to heading

Lazy loading options Jump to heading

Basic lazy loading scenarios: Jump to heading

Slots Jump to heading

Attributes & Properties Jump to heading

Methods Jump to heading

Events Jump to heading

CSS custom properties Jump to heading

Custom States Jump to heading

CSS parts Jump to heading

Dependencies Jump to heading

Importing Jump to heading

Get a lifetime discount on Web Awesome Pro!

Getting Started

Resources

Components

Style Utilities

Layout

Patterns

Theming

Design Tokens

Terms & Policies

Web Awesome

Web Awesome Elsewhere

Select

Examples Jump to heading

Labels Jump to heading

Hint Jump to heading

Placeholders Jump to heading

Clearable Jump to heading

Appearance Jump to heading

Pill Jump to heading

Disabled Jump to heading

Multiple Jump to heading

Setting Initial Values Jump to heading

Grouping Options Jump to heading

Sizes Jump to heading

Placement Jump to heading

Start & End Decorations Jump to heading

Custom Tags Jump to heading

Lazy loading options Jump to heading

Basic lazy loading scenarios: Jump to heading

Slots Jump to heading

Attributes & Properties Jump to heading

Methods Jump to heading

Events Jump to heading

CSS custom properties Jump to heading

Custom States Jump to heading

CSS parts Jump to heading

Dependencies Jump to heading

Importing Jump to heading

Get a lifetime discount on Web Awesome Pro!