How to Configure the Dynamic Dropdowns Widget

April 23, 2024

Dropdown fields are easy to use because of the simplicity of picking an option from a list. If you need to create a dropdown with nested options or limit the choices that can be selected depending on the form filler’s selection, you can use the Dynamic Dropdowns widget.

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To use Dynamic Dropdowns

  1. In the Form Builder, select Add Form Element in the upper-left corner.
Step to add form elements in Jotform
  1. In the left pane, go to Widgets at the top.
  2. Search and select Dynamic Dropdowns to add it to your form.
Steps to use Dynamic Dropdowns in Jotform
  1. In Widget Settings, configure your dropdown in the Values field.
Steps to configure Dynamic Dropdowns in Jotform

Nesting or indenting the options with spaces creates a parent-child relationship between dropdown lists. Here’s an example:

Vertebrates
 Warm-blooded
  Dog
  Cat
  Bird
  .
 Cold-blooded
  Goldfish
  Turtle
  Frog
  .
 .
Invertebrates
 With legs
  Beetle
  Ladybug
  Spider
  .
 Without legs
  Earthworm
  Leech
  .
 .
.

To break that down, the top-level options are

Vertebrates
Invertebrates
.

To create choices for “Vertebrates,” add a new line under it and list the options, each with one leading space.

Vertebrates
 Warm-blooded
 Cold-blooded
 .
Invertebrates
.

To create choices for the 2nd-level “Warm-blooded” option, add a new line under it then list the choices, each with two leading spaces.

Vertebrates
 Warm-blooded
  Dog
  Cat
  Bird
  .
 Cold-blooded
 .
Invertebrates
.

And so on. See what it looks like in this demo form.

Notes

  • Setting up the list and nestings using a text editor like Notepad or TextEdit is recommended.
  • Include dot (.) as one of the choices in a set to initially display an empty “Please select” option for that set.
  • Append asterisk (*) to a parent option to make its children required.
  • The Values field has a 65000 character limit.
  • The longer the list, the slower the widget becomes.
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