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# Dropdown Component

The **Dropdown** component lets you offer a predefined list of choices in your template and display the one that applies to each generated document. It works well anywhere you need to show one selected option out of a fixed list of values, for example a status, a shipping method, or a plan type.
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### Properties tab

The **Position** and **Dimensions** fields work the same as for any other component, and define where the Dropdown sits on the page and how large it is. The remaining settings are specific to the Dropdown component:

* **Answers** – Enter the available choices for the dropdown, one per line, in the order they should appear.
* **Selected** – Choose which of the answers should be selected by default when the document is generated. Choosing **[None]** leaves the field empty.
* **Shown as** – Controls how the Dropdown is displayed in the generated document:
                    * **Collapsed** – shows it as a single-line dropdown with only the selected answer visible.
                    * **Open list** – displays all the answers at once as an expanded list.

|| ℹ️ Note: Click **Insert Data Field** to bind the Selected answer to a field from your form or JSON dataset, so the generated document reflects the value from your data instead of a fixed answer.
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### Advanced tab

The Advanced tab gives you the following options for the Dropdown component:

* **Unique identifier** – Allows adding a unique identifier to the component, ensuring precise component identification and improving navigation in the Component list.
* **Lock position** – Locks the component in a defined position, preventing it from being affected by other components and ensuring it doesn't affect them.
* **Render as an editable Field** – When enabled, the Dropdown becomes an interactive field in the generated PDF, letting the person viewing the document open it and choose a different answer themselves. This option is enabled by default for the Dropdown component.
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### Related articles you may find helpful

* [Forms – Field Types and Actions](https://support.pdfgeneratorapi.com/en/article/forms-field-types-and-actions-1oezzul/)
* [How to Install the Template Builder Skill and Convert a PDF Into a Template](https://support.pdfgeneratorapi.com/en/article/how-to-install-the-template-builder-skill-and-convert-a-pdf-into-a-template-x0hqpw/)
* [Is it possible to conditionally change the component style or hide the component?](https://support.pdfgeneratorapi.com/en/article/is-it-possible-to-conditionally-change-the-component-style-or-hide-the-component-z8nmwg/)