How to make a dropdown with a large set of values to pick from

For instance, I want my user to select from a list of 100 product codes. Entering 100 values in the regular dropdown field is not feasible. I'm looking to store the product codes in a place that I can easily add/change/delete values when needed, and then have the dropdown pull from that source. Can you outline how I can go about doing this with jotform?

Hi CEEBJ,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. To meet your requirements you can use the Dynamic Dropdowns widget which adds a dropdown menu that changes based on previous answers chosen. Let me show you how:

1. In Form Builder, click on the Add Element button in the upper-left corner.
2. Go to the Widgets tab at the top of the left pane.
3. Search for Dynamic Dropdowns and add it to your form.
4. In the Widget Settings, you can configure your dropdown values in the Values field.

You can organize your product codes in a text editor and paste them into the Values field. The widget supports nesting and indentation if you want to create parent-child relationships among options. This method allows you to easily add, change, or delete product codes by updating the widget's Values field without rebuilding the dropdown from scratch.

Check out the screencast below to see my results:

Check out our guide explaining How to Configure the Dynamic Dropdowns Widget.

Give it a try and let us know if you have any other questions.

I'm familiar with dynamic dropdowns. But, I have way too many values for it to work. I'm looking for something where I can put the values (e.g., a google sheet), then have a dropdown widget that can pull from that source. This will let me maintain the sheet of values independently of Jotform.

Hi CEEBJ,

You might consider using the Spreadsheet to Form Widget that will allow you to pull data from the spreadsheet and populate the dropdown field. But keep in mind that once you update the spreadsheet, you will need to re-upload it. Let me show you how to use it: 

1. Create a spreadsheet with your data structured like you see below. Make sure that the column names in the spreadsheet match the field names on the form, and include a unique column, so the data can be distinguished.

2. In Form Builder, click on the Add Element menu on the left side of the page.

3. Click on the Widgets tab, search for the Spreadsheet to Form widget and add it to your form.

4. In the menu on the right side of the page, upload your data file. (You can simply drag & drop your Excel file to the Upload File area.) 

5. Then, click on the Downward Arrow icon in the Access Code Column option and select the unique column.

6. You can also customize texts used in the widget. After you complete everything, click on the Update Widget button at the bottom right of the menu.

Now, when people fill out your form and enter the unique code from the spreadsheet, the corresponding fields will automatically populate when they click the button. Check out my screencast below to see how it works:

Give it a try and let us know if you have any other questions.

Yes, I see how this works; thanks for suggesting it. I think what I'm asking for is: a) adding dynamic dropdown as a supported type in configurable list; and b) being able to load up the dynamic dropdown values from an external source (exactly like the spreadsheet to form widget works). Maybe we'll see this in the future? For now, I think you've answered my questions.

Hi CEEBJ,

As of this time, the mentioned items are not yet available at this time. As a workaround, you can make use of the recommendation provided by my colleague Kris Ann.

Let us know if you have any other questions.