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Copy the HTML Select (Dropdown) example below.
HTML · FORM CONTROL
HTML Select & Dropdown — pick from a list (live demo)
The <select> element is a dropdown menu built from <option> tags. The user picks one (or, with the multiple attribute, several) and the chosen option's value is submitted under the select's name. Below is a working form with a dropdown that actually submits.
- 500 free / mo
- No backend
- Copy-paste ready
Copy-paste ready
The HTML Select (Dropdown) example below is a complete, working form — paste it into any HTML page and it submits, no edits to the markup required.
No backend to build
Your html select (dropdown) form posts to one endpoint. No server, PHP, or API route — submissions land in your inbox and a searchable dashboard.
A form that really submits
Unlike a static reference snippet, this <select> form actually sends data to a free splitforms backend, with spam filtering built in.
Copy-paste code
HTML Select (Dropdown) code you can paste today.
Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY with a key from your free splitforms dashboard. The form posts to one endpoint — submissions land in your inbox and dashboard with spam filtering built in.
<form action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">
<label for="name">Name</label>
<input type="text" id="name" name="name" required>
<label for="email">Email</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email" required>
<label for="topic">What do you need help with?</label>
<select id="topic" name="topic" required>
<option value="" disabled selected>Select a topic…</option>
<option value="sales">Sales question</option>
<option value="support">Technical support</option>
<option value="partnership">Partnership</option>
<option value="other">Something else</option>
</select>
<input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none">
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>How it works
How to add HTML Select (Dropdown) to any page.
Copy the html select (dropdown) example, drop in your free access key, and paste it into any page — submissions start landing in your dashboard.
Add your access key
Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY with a free splitforms key from the dashboard.
Paste into your site
Drop the form into any HTML page. Submissions arrive in your dashboard.
The <select> element
Which HTML Select (Dropdown) attributes matter?
The <select> element takes a handful of attributes — these decide how your form behaves and what actually gets emailed to your inbox when someone submits.
- name — The key the selected value is submitted under.
- required — Boolean. Forces a choice before the form can be submitted.
- multiple — Lets the user pick more than one option (Ctrl/Cmd-click). Submits an array of values.
- size — Number of visible options. Setting it turns the dropdown into a scrolling list box.
- disabled — Greys out the whole control and excludes it from submission.
- <option value> — The value submitted for that choice. Omit value= and the option's text is submitted instead.
- <option selected> — Pre-selects an option on load.
Common mistakes
HTML Select (Dropdown) not working? Here's why.
Most broken forms come down to a few small mistakes with the <select> element. Check these before you ship — then forward every submission to Slack or a webhook.
- The first option is selected by default — If no option has the selected attribute, the browser submits the first one — even if it's a placeholder. Use a disabled, selected placeholder option to force a real choice.
- Without value=, the text is submitted — If an <option> has no value= attribute, its visible text becomes the submitted value. Always set value= to keep data clean and stable.
- multiple changes the UX — A multiple select is hard to discover on mobile. For more than a few choices, consider checkboxes or a custom component instead.
How SplitForms works
From form to workflow in 3 simple steps.
Connect your form, collect every submission, and send data where it needs to go — without building backend infrastructure.
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Point your form to your unique SplitForms endpoint. That's it.
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We instantly capture and organize every submission in your inbox.
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“Point the form action at one endpoint and you're done. No SDK, no client library, no build step. This is how a form backend should feel.”
“Leads land in Slack the second someone submits, and a copy goes to Google Sheets for the sales team. I wired both up in under ten minutes.”
“I run a static Hugo site on a five-dollar VPS. splitforms gave it a real contact form without me standing up a single server.”
Questions
HTML Select (Dropdown) questions, answered.
View all FAQsHow do I create a dropdown in HTML?
Use a <select> element containing one <option> per choice, each with a value= attribute. Give the <select> a name= so the chosen value is submitted, and use the selected attribute to pre-select an option.
How do I make a placeholder option in a select?
Add a first option with value="" disabled selected, e.g. <option value="" disabled selected>Choose…</option>. Combined with required on the <select>, it forces the user to pick a real option.
How do I allow multiple selections in a dropdown?
Add the multiple attribute to the <select>. The user selects more than one option with Ctrl/Cmd-click, and the field submits multiple values under the same name.
What value does a select submit?
It submits the value= of the chosen <option>. If an option has no value= attribute, the browser submits that option's visible text instead.
Select or radio buttons — which should I use?
Use radio buttons when there are 2–5 options and you want them all visible at once. Use a <select> when there are many options or space is tight and hiding them behind a dropdown keeps the form short.
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