How to Add a Drop-Down List in Word

Quick Tips

• Adding a drop-down list allows you to make documents more interactive, and it’s relatively easy to do so.
• You’ll need to enable Word’s Developer options.
• Drop-down lists are available for Word 2016 and newer (including Word for Office 365)

Typically, Word documents aren’t meant to ask readers to do something to the document itself. However, if you’re making an online survey or form, then distributing it via a Word doc instead of a fillable PDF can be handy. Usually, it’s easier to edit a text document than a PDF, and form controls such as drop-down lists can make a real difference.

Here’s how to add a drop-down list in Word document.

Part 1. Enable the Developer Tab in Word

To unlock the more “advanced” portions of Office applications, you’ll need to use the Developer tools. Typically, these tools are hidden from the standard top toolbar, and you’ll need to enable the Developer tab to access them.

Step 1. Open a Word document.

Step 2. Click on the “File” tab on the top-left and choose “Options” from the bottom. In some cases (such as when the app is windowed) you may need to select “More” beforehand.

Step 3. In the settings menu, go to the “Customize Ribbon” tab on the left.

Step 4. Scroll down the list on the right, then check the item named “Developer” and click “OK.”

You should see the “Developer” tab on the top bar now.

Part 2. Add a Drop-Down List to Word document

With the Developer tab enabled, you can add a basic content control list.

Step 1. Go to the “Developer” tab and select “Drop-Down List Content Control.” In full view, it’s the third icon in the second row in the “Controls” sub-menu.

Step 2. You should get a basic control list with “Choose an item” sample text.

Part 3. Configuring the Drop-Down List

Your new drop-down list doesn’t have any items to choose from, so you’ll need to set up a list to draw from.

Step 1. Click on the drop-down list you made.

Step 2. Select the “Properties” option in the “Controls” section.

Step 3. Give the list a title and select a color if you want.

Step 4. To add a choice, select the “Add…” button in the pop-up menu.

Step 5. Enter the option’s name and value (they’ll be the same by default), then click OK.

Step 6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you get the desired number of options.

Step 7. Still in the “Properties” menu, check the “Content control cannot be deleted” box. This will prevent other people from accidentally removing it.

You can adjust the positioning of items within the list by selecting it from the window and clicking “Move Up” or “Move Down.” Similarly, you can change an item with “Modify” or remove it from the box entirely.

Step 8. When you’re done with the changes, click OK.

When someone clicks on the box, they’ll get a list of items to choose from through the drop-down arrow on the right.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Adding a Drop-Down Lists in Word

Unlike in Excel, Word drop-down lists are severely limited by design. They typically work best with a few simple choices and shouldn’t really be used for more comprehensive control options.

Note that drop-down boxes might not seamlessly integrate into text. If you plan to put them inside paragraphs or lines (like with multiple-choice texts) make sure to go over the text repeatedly to ensure the document looks readable.

Additionally, while Word allows you to add a drop-down list in a document, not all text editors will display it the same way. Older Word versions and other rich text editors might have trouble showing the box. Others, like Word Online, might not allow users to pick from the list of choices at all.

Finally, there’s no real way to implement a multi-level drop-down list in Word. For that, try Excel or other editing software that offers more features.

How to Remove a Drop-Down List

You can remove a list you’ve made by right-clicking on it and selecting “Remove Content Control.”