How to create a dropdown list in a template?
Asked by ChristianWaidner:

I want to create a dropdown list in a template for a user to fill out.

This article from ancient times mentions, that Confluence is able to do this: <https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/CONF42/Form+Field+Markup+for+Templates>

In the current template editor I am not able to create a list or find documentation on how to do this. $VAR is working, but creates only a text field.

=\> How do I create dropdowns (or radios or other specific fields) without using add-ons?


Answers:
author: Stephen Deutsch
body: Hi Christian,

while editing the template, click on the variable $VAR and you should get a pop-up with three different options, "Text", "Multiline Text", and "List". Choose "List" and type the options that you want to have for the dropdown list separated by commas. For example, you could write:

option 1,option 2,option 3

and then once you save you should have a dropdown list in your template where you can choose between option 1, option 2, and option 3.

comments: author: ChristianWaidner
body: Thanks - I hadn't thought of this as I'm an avid keyboard user.


author: Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
body: Hello Stephen,

if i implement it like this, i can select the dropdown list value when creating the site.

When the page has been created, no dropdown list exists.

I want to have a dropdown list within a table?


author: EPS Software Engineering AG
body: Hello,

Our Easy Dropdown Menu could be a solution for you. You can find it on the Marketplace.

Regards,  
Stephan (CEO of EPS Software Engineering, the vendor of the Easy Dropdown Menu)


author: Anna Olenberg
body: Hello Stephen,

your suggestion worked limitedly for me.

As soon as the page with the variable is published (out from Template wizard), I cant change the value any more. Is there any help/alternative for this?

Thanks in advance,

greetings Anna


author: Radhika Singh
body: Hi, I am trying to create drop downs in a template like you all are. I used HTML which worked well until a new form was created then instead of the drop down, you see the HTML code, which is won't work for the user. Is there a way we can hide the HTML code so the drop down only is shown.

Second option, do we need to create a form rather than a template?

Any thoughts please, since our company will not allow us to install additional macros.


author: Ruben Nuredini
body: [@EPS Software Engineering AG](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/664660)i have been using Easy Dropdown Menu for couple of years now. However, the key feature that is missing is the capability to associate links (mostly websites) to the dropdown menu options.

Something similar to this:

    <select name="forma"> <option value="http://www.google.com">Google</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com">Amazon</option> <option value="http://www.ecosia.com">Ecosia</option></select>


author: Geena Kolb?
body: Hi Ruben,

Thank you so much for the message.   

We created a ticket on the 14th of August 2020 with the same request as you have above. We are most definitely looking at making this a functionality of Easy Dropdown Menu however, we do not have a specific release date as of yet.   

I would be able to keep you updated on our progress, if you would like, on this post.   

Kind regards,   
Geena Kolb? (geena.kolbe@eps.ch)

Marketing and Account Manager  
EPS Software Engineering AG


author: Ruben Nuredini
body: Hi Geena,

yes, i would like to know when the feature is available.  
Thank you in advance.

Best regards,

Ruben


author: Geena Kolb?
body: Thank you for your response, I will let you know once the feature is released.

Have a wonderful day!   

Geena


author: Geena Kolb?
body: Hi Ruben,

I have not forgotten about you, we are still working on the request and I have a reminder to check up once a month in order to revert back to you.   

Have a wonderful day!


author: Lena Carstensen
body: Hi [@Geena Kolb?](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3801258)

I would also like to know when the new feature is available.

Thank you and best regards - Lena


author: Geena Kolb?
body: Hi [@Lena Carstensen](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3627007)  

I will be sure to let you know.   

Have a wonderful day,   
Geena


author: Sanjeev Sharma
body: Hi [@Geena Kolb?](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3801258)

+1 for the interested users for the dropdown feature.

Thanks, Sanjeev


author: Lena Carstensen
body: [@Geena Kolb?](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3801258)

Hello,

are there any news about the use of drop-downs?

Thank you, Lena


author: Geena Kolb?
body: Hi [@Ruben Nuredini](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/858356)  
[@Lena Carstensen](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3627007)   

Unfortunately, Due to the cloud-first strategy announced by Atlassian (and adapted by us), we no longer have plans to add this feature in the foreseeable future.   

I hope you can find a plugin that suits your needs.   

Best regards,   
Geena


author: Stiltsoft Support
body: Hello Community,

Our [Handy Macros for Confluence](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1214971/handy-macros-for-confluence-formatting-and-interactive-ui?tab=overview&hosting=cloud&utm_source=atlassian_community&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=handy-macros-traffic-sources&utm_id=1216111&utm_content=dropdown-community-answer) can be a solution for this use case. You can create a template with Handy Statuses and/or Handy Dates. When users create a page from this template, they can choose one of the predefined custom values of a status (a kind of dropdown menu) or pick the date.

![Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 22-44-43 Add Page - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/184398iBD1093677EE23CCE/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 22-44-43 Add Page - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png")

![Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 22-45-37 Add Page - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/184399i09ABEC3499C43B0C/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 22-45-37 Add Page - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png")

![screenshot.PNG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/184400i1B0C62C21799F740/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "screenshot.PNG")

Handy Status and Handy Date can also be switched in the page view mode after saving the page. It can increase your time efficiency.

![Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 23-17-50 Page from the custom template in the page view mode - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/184403iAE3E0B87C160B2C2/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 23-17-50 Page from the custom template in the page view mode - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png")

![Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 23-18-54 Page from the custom template in the page view mode - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/184404i1D0CC2CDACD2236A/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 23-18-54 Page from the custom template in the page view mode - Alena Audziyenka - Confluence.png")

Best regards,

Elena.


author: vbhardwaj
body: This is the most frustrating and annoying thing to not have the dropdown list feature? What kind of this form is that does not have a drop list...

Get this right Atlassian.... I wont recommend anyone confluence without this basic feature...


author: hemope
body: Be aware that you can't use "?" "?" and "?" in the variables.


author: Martijn Moret
body: it is incredible you pay so much for a solution (cloud) that misses basic features like a dropdown in a template. #useless

comments: author: SamDB
body: I just used this article to create a dropdown in a template of my own in Confluence (cloud, version 6.15.4). The instructions to do so have changed a bit since this article was first posted, but the feature is available and works.


author: Louis Aguila
body: [@SamDB](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3893311) How do you do this using the new editor in Cloud?


author: Rob Bunten
body: I created several List variables in a template:

![Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 12.01.01 pm.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/73595i302F3A6D5902B584/image-dimensions/413x194?v=v2 "Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 12.01.01 pm.png")

but when I go to create a page using the template, I get 'inlineExtension' instead of the drop-down:

![Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 12.04.29 pm.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/73596iB64A814393610626/image-dimensions/416x241?v=v2 "Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 12.04.29 pm.png")

(Using Confluence Cloud via Chrome on Mac, for what it's worth).


Tags: template