When To Use Dropdowns
Dropdown questions are useful when a social science research survey needs one answer from a long categorical list without filling the page with options. They work well for states, countries, institutions, occupations, languages, departments, study sites, or other long controlled vocabularies.
Block Builder: Dropdown
Block Builder: Dropdown
Add options and set the placeholder text for a dropdown question.
If the answer list is short or respondents need to compare all options at once, use Multiple Choice survey questions instead. Dropdowns trade visibility for compactness.
How It Supports Research Design
- Clean categorical data keeps long lists standardized for export and analysis.
- Compact presentation reduces visual load in demographic or administrative sections.
- Visible current value helps respondents confirm the selected category before moving on.
- Reusable lists are helpful for repeated surveys across panels, classes, or institutions.
Block Builder: Dropdown
Block Builder: Dropdown
Add options and set the placeholder text for a dropdown question.
Configure It In Domandata
Step 1: Open Block Builder. Open the survey and select the block where the long categorical list belongs.
Step 1: Open Block Builder
Survey Editor
No-persist demo using the real builder shell.
Step 2: Add the question. Choose Dropdown from the question type selector.
Step 2: Choose Dropdown question type
Block Builder: Question Type
Use the question type selector to switch between multiple choice, slider, grid, ranking, and more.
Step 3: Enter the options. Add each option exactly as you want it displayed to respondents and stored for analysis.
Step 3: Enter options
Block Builder: Dropdown
Add options and set the placeholder text for a dropdown question.
Step 4: Set the placeholder. Use a clear prompt such as "Select a country" when the expected answer type needs context.
Step 4: Set the placeholder
Block Builder: Dropdown
Add options and set the placeholder text for a dropdown question.
Step 5: Name the variable. Give the question a short export name such as country, state, or institution.
Step 5: Name the variable
Block Builder: Question Name
The export variable label is the column name for this question in downloaded data.
Step 6: Preview on mobile. Open Preview and confirm the dropdown remains easy to use on a small screen.
Step 6: Preview on mobile
Block BuilderPreviewDeployPreview: Dropdown
Tap the dropdown to reveal all state options. The selected value is stored in the state export column.
Step 7: Freeze labels after launch. Avoid changing option labels once live data collection begins unless the change is documented in your codebook.
Step 7: Freeze labels after launch
Block Builder: Dropdown
Add options and set the placeholder text for a dropdown question.
Data And Export Notes
Dropdown answers export as a single selected value. They are a good fit for variables that may later be used in Flow, including by-variable experimental assignment, stratification, and quota logic. For very sensitive categories, include "Prefer not to answer" when your research protocol requires it.
Flow: Conditions and Routing
Flow Canvas
Interactive routing surface from the app, running in no-persist help mode.