# Select
**Select questions** are the easiest way to collect structured data from responders. Unlike text input fields, responders choose from pre-defined options, reducing friction and error. Common use cases include:
* Single- or multiple-choice questions
* Dropdown selections (e.g., U.S. states)
* Image or video-based pickers
***
### Core Settings
#### Allow multiple selection
Enable this setting to let responders choose more than one answer.
#### Autoadvance if possible
When enabled (default), the flow will automatically advance after the responder selects a choice—**but only if all other questions on the step are already answered**.
{% hint style="info" %}
Autoadvance is disabled when multiple selection is allowed.
{% endhint %}
***
### Customizing choices
#### How to add choices
You can populate choices via:
* **Manual entry** in the **Choices** tab
* **Bulk add** from the **Choice library**
* **Dynamically** via external API lookup or local calculation (see below)
#### Randomize choice order
To reduce bias, enable this setting to shuffle the display order each time the step loads.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Pin to position**
When randomization is on, you can **pin** specific choices (e.g., “Other”, “None”) to always appear in the same position.
{% endhint %}
#### Choice value type
By default, values are stored as strings. You can also choose `boolean` or `number` types from the **Choice value type** menu.
#### Customizing individual choices
Each choice has a:
* **Label** (shown to responder)
* **Value** (stored in submission)
Optional settings include:
* **Show conditionally:** Show the choice only if a condition is met.
* **Exclusive:** Deselect all others if selected (available only when multiple selection is enabled).
* **Disabled:** Prevent selection.
* **Checked by default:** Pre-select this option when the step loads.
* **Description:** Internal-only helper for admins (can be sent in payloads).
* **Media (image/video):** Attach visuals to choices if **Show images on choices** is enabled.
{% hint style="info" %}
You can control the appearance of image/video choices in Theme → Buttons → Select → Image.
{% endhint %}
***
### Using the Choice Library
Formsort provides pre-built sets (e.g., U.S. states, Likert scales). Find them at the bottom of the **Choices** tab.\
Want to suggest a new one?
{% hint style="warning" %}
Adding from the choice library will replace/overwrite any existing choices.
{% endhint %}
***
### Collecting "Other" responses
To capture custom answers:
1. Add an “Other” option.
2. Add a **Text** question that appears conditionally when “Other” is selected.
***
### Dynamic Choice Loading
Dynamic loading is ideal when choices change frequently or are not known at build time.
#### Required format (choice schema)
Choices must follow this structure:
```json
[
{
"label": "The first choice", // Displayed to the user
"value": "choice_a", // Stored in the answers
"disabled": false, // [Optional]: Whether the choice
// is disabled
"imageUrl": "https://..." // [Optional]: If loading choices
// for a select question with
// images, the URL of the image.
}
]
```
#### How to configure
**1. External API**
* Go to **Choices** → **Load choices dynamically** → **External API** → **Define api source**.
* Set the URL for the API.
* If the API response doesn’t match the required schema, use a **result mapping function** to transform it.
Learn more in **API answers**.
**2. Local calculation**
* Choose **Calculated locally** and use TypeScript to generate choices
* The function must `return` an array of objects
```typescript
function myFunction(): IChoice[] { // readonly line
return [
{
label: string,
value: string
}
]
}
```
#### Caclulate locally
When **calculated locally** is enabled, you will be able to use Typescript to output the answers for responder.
You can write any functions you need, but at a minimum, they must return an array of objects that follow the format below.
Calculated
{% hint style="success" %}
See [this video](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FyxvRJIGjnFKwPs1TyUl58rhvd2qDAGg/view?usp=sharing) comparing different approaches to specifying choices for a visual walkthrough.
{% endhint %}
***
## Styling Choices
In the **Style** menu, use the **Picker Style** dropdown to choose how choices appear:
* Buttons
* Carousel
* Dropdown
* Native dropdown
* List
* Sliders
{% hint style="info" %}
:bulb: For more style customization details, see [Button Styling](https://docs.formsort.com/styling/customizing-appearance/buttons).
{% endhint %}
