Dropdown question · Choice

Dropdown questions

A compact menu for long lists people already know, such as their state. Respondents use their own keyboard or their phone’s picker, Other opens a box to write in, and a long list such as states charts as its top 15 plus All others.

Available onFree & up· every plan
The dropdown question as respondents see it: Ohio chosen in the closed menu on a laptop, and Mississippi on a phone

Live demo

Pick from the menu. Your answer joins the results.

This is the question your respondents get. Open the menu, or tab to it and type the first letters of a state, and the chart beside it recalculates with your answer counted.

Which state do you live in?

The same answers in a crosstab

Top-2-Box and Mean, by age
How often do you shop with us?
RowTotal 18–34A35–54B55+C
Top-2-Box45.8%36.4%42.3%57.2% , significantly higher than 18–34 and 35–54
Mean3.33.23.23.6 , significantly higher than 18–34 and 35–54

Top-2-Box is Often plus Very often; the mean is of the codes 1 to 5. Letters mark a column significantly higher than the one named. Your answer joins Total only: the demo doesn’t know your age.

In action

The dropdown question in action

Dropdown in action · One respondent picks Ohio, another Mississippi on a phone, a third writes in Puerto Rico, and the chart updates.
  1. 0:00The menu starts on “Select an answer…”, with nothing chosen.
  2. 0:03A respondent picks Ohio, and the closed menu reads Ohio.
  3. 0:06On a phone-width screen, a second respondent’s menu reads Mississippi.
  4. 0:09A third respondent picks Other (please specify) and types Puerto Rico in the box.
  5. 0:12All three join the results. Ohio, Mississippi and Other aren’t among this plain list’s 15 most chosen, so All others goes up by three.

Every feature

Everything the dropdown question can do

Long lists in a compact native menu, Other and Not applicable that stay put, and analysis that knows a plain list from an ordered one.

Build it your waySet-up in the builder.

LiveFree

Paste a long list

Open Bulk edit and paste one answer per line, as many as you need. Add “| code” to a line to set its code, and pasting again keeps each answer’s settings.

LiveFree

Answer library

Ready-made lists in two clicks: US states with DC, months, days of the week, age, gender, education, employment, income and five-point scales.

LiveFree

Other, None and Not applicable

One click adds each. Other opens a box under the menu, and you can make the write-in required. All three stay where you put them, sorted, shuffled or rotated.

LiveFree

Sort A to Z, or shuffle

Alphabetize options sorts the list in each survey language. Or shuffle it for each respondent, with any answer pinned in place, or rotate where it starts.

LiveFree

Group a long list under headers

Give answers a Group, such as a region, and the menu shows them under that header.

Keep a grouped list in its order: shuffling or sorting it repeats the headers.

LiveFree

Required, soft required or optional

Required by default. A soft-required menu warns once before a skip. Mark the answer a focused respondent should give, and it becomes an attention check.

LiveFree

Logic that fits the list

Show, skip and set quotas on the answer. A plain list such as states offers equals, is any of and is none of; an ordered list adds is greater than and is between.

LiveFree

Switch to single choice

Change the question type to single choice, or back, even on a live survey once you confirm the change. The answers stay with the question.

LiveFree

Import from Excel or Qualtrics

A DROPDOWN or SELECT row in a sheet, or a Qualtrics dropdown or select box, comes in as a dropdown.

A Qualtrics Drill Down comes in as one flat menu; rebuild it as a cascading dropdown (Professional+).

On the respondent’s screenWhat people answering see and use.

LiveFree

A real native menu

The browser’s own select, 44px tall by default, in your theme’s colours and corners. With nothing chosen, it reads “Select an answer…”.

LiveFree

Type a few letters to jump

On a computer, arrow keys move, Home and End jump to the ends, and typing “oh” lands on Ohio.

LiveFree

The phone’s own picker

On iPhone and Android the system picker opens, the one people use every day.

A phone picker has no search: for lists of hundreds, use Autocomplete (Professional+).

LiveFree

Named by the question

Screen readers hear the question as the menu’s name, and are told when it’s required or an answer is missing.

LiveFree

Checked when it’s saved

The server accepts only an answer on your list: never a removed, disabled or full one. A required write-in needs its text.

LiveFree

Translated with the survey

Answers, group headers and the Other box translate, and A to Z sorting follows each language.

The menu’s prompt is “Select an answer…”, in six languages, and you can reword it for each survey language.

LiveFree

Your theme, light or dark

The closed menu and the Other box follow the survey’s theme and dark mode.

The open list is drawn by the browser or the phone.

In your analysisResults, dashboards, crosstabs and tab books.

LiveFree

Long lists stay readable

Results shows a bar per answer with its share. A plain list of more than 15 shows the 15 most chosen, then one All others bar.

LiveFree

A tile and a slide for every dropdown

Each dropdown gets a dashboard bar tile and a report slide, capped at the top 15 plus All others on a plain list of more than 15.

LiveCrosstabs · Solo+Tab books · Research Team

Ordered lists count as scales

When the answers read as a scale, such as “Never” to “Very often”, crosstabs and tab books add a Top-2 box and a mean, by the same rule as single choice.

LiveFree

Numbers count as numbers

A list of years or counts is averaged only when each code is the number itself, so a mean is never a mean of positions.

LiveSolo+

Crosstab it either way

Put a dropdown in the rows, or use it as a banner with a column per answer you can merge, such as states into regions.

LiveProfessional+

Test the differences

Letters mark significant differences: column proportions on every answer and box, and a t-test on the mean.

LiveResearch Team

In every tab book

A plain list gets a table of every answer across your banner; an ordered list gets the scale table with Top-2, Bottom-2 and the mean.

LiveResearch Team

Weight by it

Use a dropdown such as state as a rim target, and weights carry through Results, crosstabs and tab books.

LiveFree

Write-ins beside the counts

Other is counted like any answer, and Results gathers what people wrote under it in a row you can open under the chart.

In your dataWhat lands in your exports.

LiveFree

One code column

The column holds the code of the chosen answer, named by the question’s number, such as Q1, or by your export tag.

LiveFree

Codes you set

Keep the codes 1, 2, 3, or set your own. Duplicates are flagged in the editor, and a survey with them won’t launch.

LiveFree

Other text, separately

What people write under Other goes to Q1_TEXT when you include open-ended answers.

LiveFree

Labels in Excel

The Value Labels sheet maps every code to its answer, and number codes arrive as numbers.

LiveProfessional+

Labelled in SPSS

Every code labelled, Other, None and Not applicable on reserved codes, and the variable nominal or ordinal to match your crosstabs.

LiveFree

The order they saw

Shuffle or sort the list, and Q1_order records the order each person saw.

Not part of a dropdown: a search box (use Autocomplete, Professional+), several answers (use multiple choice), and answers with pictures, bold or links (use single choice). The menu’s prompt reads “Select an answer…”, and you can reword it for each survey language.

Choosing

Dropdown or single choice?

Both ask for one answer from a list, and both store it the same way. The difference is how the list is shown.

  • Dropdown · Free

    Pick a dropdown when

    • The list is long and people know their answer, such as their state, a year or a department: about 8 to 50 options.
    • Space is tight, or you want every question in a long form to keep the same compact shape.
    • Your respondents expect a menu: the phone’s own picker, or typing the first letters on a keyboard.
  • Single Choice · Free

    Pick single choice when

    • There are fewer than about 8 answers, and people should see them all before choosing.
    • Answers need pictures, bold or links, or you want columns side by side.
    • Speed matters: with Auto-advance on selection, a tap on a one-question page moves on by itself. At 12 or more answers it adds a search box.

Either way you get one code per answer, and an ordered list such as “Never” to “Very often” gets a Top-2 box and a mean in crosstabs and tab books. Logic, crosstabs and exports read both the same way, so you can switch between them in the builder, even on a live survey once you confirm the change, and the answers stay with the question. More than about 50 options, or people need to search? Use Autocomplete (Professional+).

Build it

Add a dropdown question

  1. 1

    Add the question

    In the builder, add a question and choose Dropdown from the Choice group. Write the question, such as “Which state do you live in?”

  2. 2

    Load or paste the list

    Open Answer library and pick US states (+ DC), or another set such as Months, Days of the week, Age ranges or Household income. For your own list, open Bulk edit and paste one answer per line. Type Label | code on a line to set its code.

  3. 3

    Add Other

    Click + Other and tick Write-in required, so anyone who picks it says what they meant. + None and + N/A add None of the above and Not applicable the same way.

  4. 4

    Keep the order clear

    Turn on Alphabetize options in Design for names, sorted in each survey language. Keep ordered lists in their order. Other, None and Not applicable stay where you put them.

  5. 5

    Leave the default empty

    In Rules, leave Default answer on “No default” so the menu starts on “Select an answer…”. If you set one, it shows as the answer and is recorded when the person presses Next.

  6. 6

    Set the rules and preview

    Keep it required, or make it soft required or optional. In Preview, use Open on phone to try it on your phone and see its own picker.

The Dropdown editor with Codes on: the list ends at Wyoming, then Other (please specify) with its code other and Write-in required ticked. Under the list, the Answer library is open at Geography, with US states (+ DC) and its 51 answers
EditorA 51-answer list in two clicks, with Other at the end.
Bulk edit with the ordered list, one answer per line, each with its code after a pipe: Never | 1, Rarely (less than monthly) | 2, Sometimes (about monthly) | 3, Often (weekly) | 4, Very often (daily) | 5, then the hint, Apply and Cancel
Bulk editPaste a list, with codes if you need them.
The builder’s phone preview of “Which state do you live in?”: the progress bar, the question and the closed menu on “Select an answer…”, with Back and Next under it
Phone previewThe menu at phone width, before anyone picks.

The data you get

One code per answer, with labels in Excel and SPSS

Each dropdown gets one column holding the code of the chosen answer. Other’s write-in gets a column of its own, and Excel and SPSS turn the codes back into answer text.

respondent_idQ1StateQ1_TEXTOther text
47762a85-0001-4000-8000-00000000000137(empty)
47762a85-0002-4000-8000-00000000000237(empty)
47762a85-0003-4000-8000-00000000000323(empty)
47762a85-0004-4000-8000-00000000000415(empty)
47762a85-0005-4000-8000-00000000000522(empty)
47762a85-0006-4000-8000-0000000000065(empty)
47762a85-0007-4000-8000-00000000000725(empty)
47762a85-0035-4000-8000-000000000035otherPuerto Rico

Trimmed to the question’s two columns, exported with Include open-ended answers ticked; without it, Other’s write-ins read [OPEN_ENDED]. The names under the headers are for reading here; the file holds the column names only. other is the code of Other (please specify). Every export also carries the standard respondent columns (status, timing, weight and more).

One column per dropdown

Named by the question’s number, such as Q1, or your own export tag. Rewording the question never renames it.

Codes you choose

The cell holds the answer’s code: 1 to 51 for the states list, or the codes you set with Label | code. CSV and JSON carry codes; Excel and SPSS add the labels.

Other, in its own column

Other is other in the code column of CSV and Excel, and 98 in SPSS. What people wrote goes to Q1_TEXT when you include open-ended answers.

Nominal or ordinal in SPSS

A plain list such as states is nominal. A list that reads as a scale, such as “Never” to “Very often”, is ordinal, the same as in your crosstabs.

The order they saw

Shuffle or sort the list and Q1_order records the order each person saw.

Weighting

Weighted exports fill the weight column with each person’s weight, and the SPSS syntax sets WEIGHT BY weight. Weighting is on Research Team.

Charts & analysis

Long lists stay readable, ordered lists get a scale

Every dropdown is charted for you. A plain list of more than 15 shows its 15 most chosen answers and rolls the rest into one bar, and a list that reads as a scale gets a Top-2 box and a mean in crosstabs and tab books.

The Surveti Results card for “Which state do you live in?” with the pill DROPDOWN and the order set to As asked: “400 responses”, then 15 bars in the order asked, from California at 15% to Virginia at 4%, each labelled with its share, then All others at 33%, Show all, “4 options with no answers”, the base line, and the closed “Other” write-ins row with its count of 5
ResultsCalifornia leads with 15%, then Texas with 7%, with the bars in the order asked. A plain list such as states shows its 15 most chosen: here they hold 269 of the 400 answers, and the other 33 answers people chose, Other among them, share one All others bar of 131. Show all opens every answer chosen, and a line counts the 4 options nobody chose. Other’s 5 write-ins wait in a closed row at the foot of the card.

Where it charts

  • ResultsBars, top 15 of a long plain list
  • DashboardA bar tile, top 15 of a long plain list
  • Report deckA slide, top 15 of a long plain list
  • CrosstabsAs a row or a banner
  • Tab booksEvery answer, or a scale table
  • ExportsOne code column
A Surveti tab-book table of “How often do you shop with us?” by age: Total, 18–34, 35–54 and 55+ lettered A to C, a Base row of 400, 132, 123 and 145, each answer’s count above its column percentage, then Top-2-Box and Bottom-2-Box the same way and the mean to two decimals, significance letters under the cells that differ, and the footnote on the letter levels
Tab bookThe ordered list in a tab book, on Research Team: each answer’s count above its share, then the Top-2-Box, the Bottom-2-Box and the mean to two decimals. The letters are the crosstab’s, and the Bottom-2-Box adds its own: 27% of 18–34 and 25% of 35–54 answered never or rarely, against 11% of 55+, so both carry C. The 55+ mean reads 3.62, against 3.16 and 3.20.

Shop frequency, by ageColumn %, a Top-2 box and the mean of the codes, letters at 95% and 99%

Crosstabs · Solo+Letters · Professional+
The Surveti Crosstabs view of “How often do you shop with us?” by “What is your age?”, in column percentages: Total, 18–34, 35–54 and 55+ lettered A to C, a Base (n) row of 400, 132, 123 and 145, a row per answer, then Top-2-Box and Mean to one decimal, arrows and letters beside the cells that differ, and under the table the line “χ²(8) = 20.1, p = 0.010 · V = 0.16 · significant”, the legend for uppercase and lowercase letters and the Stats detail switch, on
Because the answers read as a scale, the table adds a Top-2 box (Often and Very often) and a mean of the codes, as it would for a single choice question. A letter marks a figure significantly higher than the column with that letter, uppercase at 99% and lowercase at 95%. In this sample, 57.2% of 55+ shop often or very often, against 36.4% of 18–34 and 42.3% of 35–54, so the box carries Ab; the 55+ mean of 3.6, against 3.2 for both other groups, carries AB. Among the answers, Rarely carries C for 18–34 and c for 35–54; Often carries a for 55+. Letters need Professional+. The table itself needs Solo+.

Analysis that applies

  • Crosstabs

    Solo+

    Put a dropdown in the rows, or use it as a banner: one column per answer, which you can rename, merge or hide, such as states into regions.

    Crosstabs

  • Significance letters

    Professional+

    Column proportions on every answer and box, and a t-test on the mean of an ordered list, in the same table.

    Significance testing

  • Tab books

    Research Team

    A plain list gets a table of every answer across your banner. An ordered list gets a scale table with Top-2, Bottom-2 and the mean.

  • Weighting

    Research Team

    Weight by a dropdown, such as state or region as a rim target, and the weights carry through to Results, crosstabs and tab books. Weighted exports fill the weight column.

How Surveti compares

Dropdown questions across the common survey tools

Dropdown capabilities in Surveti, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Typeform and Alchemer, as of 30 October 2026
CapabilitySurvetiSurveyMonkeyQualtricsTypeformAlchemer
Dropdown on the free (or entry) planyesEvery planyes10A common type on Basicyes23Free accountunclear36, 37No free plan listed; a snippet says freeyes52Every licence; no free plan
Type to filter a long listpartialLetters jump on a computer; Autocomplete filters · Professional+unclear1, 3Not coveredpartial16, 24, 26Letter jump; search is a separate typeyes34Typing filters (community)partial55A Textbox setting, not the dropdown
Cascading dropdownspaidCascading Dropdown · Professional+no3No cascading typepaid14, 23Drill Down; not on freeno32Choices fixed before the page loadspaid41, 52Professional and up
A dropdown per row, or in a gridyesDropdown List Free; Dropdown Grid Professional+paid2Matrix of Dropdown Menusyes15, 18, 23Matrix and Side by Sideunclear27Not checkedyes42, 43, 52List and Grid on every licence
Ready-made lists, such as US statespartialUS states and DC; paste othersunclear1, 3Not mentionedpartial13, 17Library being retiredunclear27, 28Not foundyes45Countries, US states and more
“Other” write-in on a dropdownyesA box under the menu; its own columnyes1, 6Exported as 0no13“not compatible with dropdown”no27, 29Not on dropdownsno47, 48No built-in Other
Randomise answersyesShuffle or rotate, with anchors · Freepaid1, 5Sort, randomise or flippartial20Dropdowns not namedyes27, 28randomizepaid48, 52Professional and up
Sort A to ZyesIn each survey languagepaid1, 5unclear20Not coveredyes27alphabetical_orderpartial46Not for translated dropdowns
Accessibility statement covering dropdownsyesThis page: named by the question; native keys and pickerspartial4Dropdown matrix on the avoid listpartial18Dropdown matrix not on the accessible listunclearNot checkedpartial51List and Grid summaries only
Dropdown in crosstabspaidAs a row or a banner · Solo+paid7paid22, 23Not on freeno39Not documentedpaid50, 52Full Access
Your own code per answeryesLabelled in Excel, and in SPSS on Professional+no6Codes follow position; “build your own key”yes21Recode valuesno27, 32No ref on dropdown choicesyes49Custom reporting values
SPSS exportpaidValue labels; Other as 98 · Professional+paid9yes23Free accountno38CSV and XLSX onlypaid52, 54Full Access
As of 30 Oct 2026, from each vendor’s public help pages, developer docs and pricing. Some Typeform facts come from community replies.yespartialpaidunclearno

Partial means partly built in or possible only with a documented workaround; paid means built in on paid tiers or licences only; unclear means the vendor’s docs don’t settle it. Google Forms, QuestionPro and SurveySparrow were also reviewed. Google Forms has a single-answer dropdown with branching and shuffling, but its Other answer is only on multiple choice and checkboxes. QuestionPro’s Drop Down has an Other with text entry, a Not Applicable toggle and bulk editing. SurveySparrow’s pages disagree on whether a dropdown can take more than one answer.

Sources (43)
  1. [1] SurveyMonkey: Dropdown. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/create/dropdown/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  2. [2] SurveyMonkey: Matrix of Dropdown Menus. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/create/matrix-of-dropdowns/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  3. [3] SurveyMonkey: Question types. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/create/question-types/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  4. [4] SurveyMonkey: Accessibility. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/create/accessibility/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  5. [5] SurveyMonkey: Randomizing answers. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/create/randomizing-answers/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  6. [6] SurveyMonkey: XLS exports. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/analyze/xls-exports/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  7. [7] SurveyMonkey: Crosstabs. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/surveymonkey/analyze/crosstabs/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  8. [9] SurveyMonkey: SPSS exports. https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/analyze/spss-exports · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  9. [10] SurveyMonkey: Free vs paid plans. https://www.surveymonkey.com/product/free-vs-paid-plans/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  10. [13] Qualtrics: Formatting answer choices. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/editing-questions/formatting-answer-choices/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  11. [14] Qualtrics: Drill Down. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/editing-questions/question-types-guide/specialty-questions/drill-down/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  12. [15] Qualtrics: Matrix table. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/editing-questions/question-types-guide/standard-content/matrix-table/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  13. [16] Qualtrics: Autocomplete. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/editing-questions/question-types-guide/standard-content/autocomplete-questions-supplemental-data/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  14. [17] Qualtrics: Library questions. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/editing-questions/question-types-guide/pre-made-qualtrics-library-questions/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  15. [18] Qualtrics: Check survey accessibility. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/survey-tools/check-survey-accessibility/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  16. [20] Qualtrics: Choice randomization. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/question-options/choice-randomization/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  17. [21] Qualtrics: Understanding your dataset. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/data-and-analysis-module/data/download-data/understanding-your-dataset/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  18. [22] Qualtrics: Cross tabulation overview. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/data-and-analysis-module/cross-tabulation/cross-tabulation-overview/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  19. [23] Qualtrics: Free accounts. https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/managing-your-account/trial-accounts/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  20. [24] Qualtrics Community: dropdown search on mobile (community, 2023). https://community.qualtrics.com/custom-code-12/searchable-drop-down-menu-on-mobile-22600 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  21. [26] Qualtrics Community: search on dropdowns (community, 2019 and 2024). https://community.qualtrics.com/custom-code-12/search-function-on-drop-down-questions-4229 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  22. [27] Typeform: Create API reference. https://www.typeform.com/developers/create/reference/create-form/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  23. [28] Typeform: Dropdown (search snippet). https://help.typeform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037943011 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  24. [29] Typeform Community: Other on a dropdown (community, 2024). https://community.typeform.com/build-your-typeform-7/how-to-add-an-other-option-to-a-dropdown-question-14868 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  25. [32] Typeform Community: dropdown choices (community, staff reply 2024). https://community.typeform.com/suggestions-feedback-34/choices-for-dropdown-list-13641 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  26. [34] Typeform Community: typing to filter a dropdown (community, 2023). https://community.typeform.com/your-typeform-results-32/checkin-form-10704 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  27. [36] Typeform: Pricing. https://www.typeform.com/pricing/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  28. [37] Typeform: Free plan question types (search snippet). https://help.typeform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032972852 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  29. [38] Typeform: Download your data. https://help.typeform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360029253572 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  30. [39] Typeform: Results summary. https://help.typeform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360029577071 · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  31. [41] Alchemer: Cascading Dropdown Menu. https://help.alchemer.com/help/cascading-dropdown-menu · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  32. [42] Alchemer: Dropdown Menu List. https://help.alchemer.com/help/dropdown-list · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  33. [43] Alchemer: Dropdown Menu Grid. https://help.alchemer.com/help/dropdown-menu-grid · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  34. [45] Alchemer: Library of Common Answer Options. https://help.alchemer.com/help/using-the-library-of-common-answer-options · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  35. [46] Alchemer: Sort answer options alphabetically. https://help.alchemer.com/help/sort-your-answer-options-alphabetically · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  36. [47] Alchemer: Add an Other textbox. https://help.alchemer.com/help/add-an-other-textbox · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  37. [48] Alchemer: Answer option special settings. https://help.alchemer.com/help/answer-option-special-settings · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  38. [49] Alchemer: Reporting values. https://help.alchemer.com/help/reporting-values · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  39. [50] Alchemer: Cross tab report. https://help.alchemer.com/help/cross-tab-report · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  40. [51] Alchemer: Accessible surveys. https://help.alchemer.com/help/accessibile-surveys · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  41. [52] Alchemer: Compare licenses. https://www.alchemer.com/plans-pricing/compare-licenses/ · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  42. [54] Alchemer: SPSS export. https://help.alchemer.com/help/spss · accessed 30 Oct 2026
  43. [55] Alchemer: Textbox Auto Suggest. https://help.alchemer.com/help/force-autocomplete-values · accessed 30 Oct 2026

What’s different here

Other, on a dropdown

Three of the four tools we compared can’t attach a write-in to a dropdown. Here Other (please specify) opens a box, can be required, and gets its own column.

Your codes, labelled

Set a code per answer, or keep 1, 2, 3. Excel’s Value Labels sheet and SPSS value labels (Professional+) turn them back into text, with no key to build by hand.

Long lists, readable charts

A plain 51-answer list such as states charts as its 15 most chosen plus one All others bar, in Results, on dashboard tiles and in report decks.

Ordered lists count as scales

“Never” to “Very often” in a dropdown gets a Top-2 box and a mean in crosstabs (Solo+) and tab books (Research Team), as it would as single choice, and a list of states never does.

Shuffle and sort on every plan

Shuffle, rotate or sort A to Z, with the sort in each survey language. Sorted, shuffled or rotated, Other and Not applicable stay where you put them. Free.

Switch shape, keep the data

Turn a dropdown into single choice, or back, even on a live survey. The answers stay in the same question and column.

When to use it

Use a dropdown for a long list people already know

When to use it

  • A long, familiar list: state, year of purchase, job level, department or store.
  • Space is tight, such as a long profile section or a survey taken mostly on phones.
  • The answers have a natural order people know, such as how often or how many.
  • You want quotas, weights (Research Team) or banners (Solo+) by the answer, such as state.

When to reach for something else

  • Two to seven answers people should compare. Use single choice.
  • Hundreds of answers, such as countries or products, that people need to search. Use Autocomplete (Professional+).
  • A choice that depends on the one before, such as make then model. Use a cascading dropdown (Professional+).
  • People may pick more than one. Use multiple choice.

Sample wording

“Which state do you live in?” US states (+ DC) · Other (please specify)
“How often do you shop with us?” Never · Rarely (less than monthly) · Sometimes (about monthly) · Often (weekly) · Very often (daily)

Best practices

  • Sort names A to Z, and keep ordered answers in their order.
  • Add Other (please specify) for anyone the list leaves out, such as people in a territory.
  • Leave the default empty, so nobody keeps an answer they didn’t choose.
  • Listing numbers, such as years? Give each the number as its code (“2024 | 2024” in Bulk edit), so tables average the years themselves.
  • Put a frequency word in each ordered answer (“Often (weekly)”), so the list reads as a scale.

Accessibility

A menu every browser and phone already knows

Named by the question

The menu is labelled with the question text, and screen readers hear when it’s required and when an answer is missing.

The browser’s own keyboard

Tab to the menu. Arrow keys move through the answers, Home and End jump to the ends, and typing a few letters lands on a match.

The phone’s own picker

On iPhone and Android the system picker opens, with the screen reader and text size people already use.

Room to tap

The menu and the Other box are at least 44px tall by default, with a clear focus ring in your survey’s theme.

Use it in

Where dropdowns fit

Solution

Market research

Ask the state, set quotas on it, then weight (Research Team) to your own census targets by state.

Solution

Customer feedback

Ask how often people shop with you, and compare the Top-2 box between customer groups in crosstabs (Solo+).

Solution

Academic

Keep long demographic lists compact, and take them to SPSS (Professional+) with every code labelled.

Example

Shopper profile

“Which state do you live in?” with Other (please specify), then “How often do you shop with us?”

Frequently asked questions

When should I use a dropdown instead of single choice?

Use a dropdown for a long list people already know, such as their state or a year, where a compact menu saves space. Use single choice for fewer than about 8 answers people should compare, or when answers need pictures or formatting. A dropdown starts on “Select an answer…” with nothing chosen, unless you set a default answer.

Can respondents search a long dropdown?

Not with a search box. On a computer, typing the first letters jumps to a match; on a phone, people scroll the picker. That works well up to about 50 answers. For longer lists, such as countries or products, use Autocomplete (Professional+), where people type and pick from the matches.

Does a dropdown report the same as single choice?

Yes. Both store one code per answer and chart as bars. A list that reads as a scale, such as “Never” to “Very often”, gets a Top-2 box and a mean in crosstabs and tab books either way, and a plain list such as states gets neither. Answers that are numbers, such as years, count as numbers only when each code is the number itself.

How does a long list look in Results and dashboards?

A plain list of more than 15 answers shows its 15 most chosen, then one All others bar, in Results, dashboard tiles and report slides. In the example, California leads with 15% of 400, and the 33 answers under All others share 131 responses. In Results, Show all lists every answer that was chosen, and a line counts the 4 nobody chose.

What does dropdown data look like in an export?

One column holding the chosen answer’s code, plus Q1_TEXT for what people wrote under Other when you include open-ended answers. CSV and JSON carry the codes. Excel adds a Value Labels sheet, and SPSS (Professional+) labels every code, with Other as 98, a plain list as nominal and an ordered one as ordinal.

Can I add an Other option to a dropdown?

Yes. Click + Other and Other (please specify) goes at the end of the list. Picking it opens a text box under the menu, and you can make the write-in required. + None and + N/A add None of the above and Not applicable at the end too.

Can I switch a dropdown to single choice later?

Yes, from the question type in the builder, even on a live survey, once you confirm the change. The answers you have stay with the question and in the same export column.

Related question types

Single choice
  • Autocomplete Type and pick from the matches, for lists of hundreds or your own reference data. Professional+
  • Cascading Dropdown Menus that depend on each other, such as make, then model. Professional+
  • Dropdown List One menu per row, such as a rating for each store. Free
  • Dropdown Grid A menu in every cell of a row-by-column grid. Professional+

More than one answer from a list? Use Multiple Choice (Free).

Add a dropdown question in minutes.

Start free — no credit card. 50 question types, logic, and analysis in one place.