How to Add a Drop Down Menu in Microsoft Word

To add a drop-down menu in Microsoft Word on Windows, open Developer, select Drop-Down List Content Control, then use Properties to add your choices. This creates a menu where readers can select only the answers you supply. These steps apply to Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024, with separate options for Mac and browser users.

Show the Developer tab

On Windows, open File > Options > Customize Ribbon. Under Customize the Ribbon, choose Main Tabs, check Developer, then select OK. The insertion controls are on that tab.

On Mac, open Word > Preferences > Ribbon and Toolbar. Under Customize the Ribbon, choose Main Tabs, check Developer, then select Save. You will use this tab to insert the Mac form field below.

Insert a menu with fixed choices on Windows

Place the cursor where you want the menu in your document. Select Developer > Controls > Drop-Down List Content Control. Select the entire inserted control, then choose Properties.

Under Drop-Down List Properties, select Add. Enter your first choice in Display Name, then select OK. Repeat those steps for every choice, and select OK again to close the properties dialog.

A drop-down list limits answers to the choices you enter. For example, a menu containing Yes and No gives the person completing the document those two answers. Choose a combo box when you also want to accept a typed response.

Allow readers to type another answer

On Windows, position the cursor and select Developer > Controls > Combo Box Content Control. Select the control, then open Properties. Under Combo Box Properties, select Add.

Enter a choice in Display Name and select OK, then repeat for the remaining choices. Leave Contents cannot be edited unchecked so readers can choose an item or type their own answer. Select OK to finish configuring the control.

Add a drop down on Mac

On Mac, click where you want the menu and select Developer > Combo Box. Select Options, type a choice in Drop-down item, and press + or Enter to add it to the list. Repeat for each choice, and check Drop-down enabled so readers can open the menu and make a selection.

Select Developer > Protect Form, then save the document. To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.

Create a drop down with VBA on Windows

On Windows, you can create a modern drop-down content control with VBA when your environment permits macros. Position the cursor where you want the menu before opening the editor.

Select Developer > Visual Basic, then choose Insert > Module in the editor. Add the following macro, replacing Yes and No with your desired choices.

Sub AddDropdown()
  
Dim cc As ContentControl
  
Set cc = ActiveDocument.ContentControls.Add(wdContentControlDropdownList)
  cc.DropdownListEntries.Add "Yes"
  cc.DropdownListEntries.Add "No"
End Sub

Add another cc.DropdownListEntries.Add line for each additional choice, keeping the choice text inside quotation marks. Run the macro to insert the control at the cursor.

To create a combo box instead, replace wdContentControlDropdownList with wdContentControlComboBox. That control type accepts a typed answer as well as a listed choice.

Add a menu to a browser document

Word for the web cannot create fillable forms through its native interface. With licensed desktop Word installed, select Editing > Open in Desktop App. Insert the menu using the Windows or Mac method, then save the document.

Reopen the document in the browser to see the saved changes. A visible control does not guarantee that it remains interactive in Word for the web. Return to desktop Word if you need its control editing interface.

A separate browser route uses Microsoft’s Script Lab add-in. Select Get it now on its product page and follow the account and Office prompts. The drop-down sample requires WordApi 1.9 support and permission to use the add-in.

With Script Lab available in Word, open its code editor and select Import from its menu. Import the complete YAML from Microsoft’s Manage dropdown list content controls sample, then run the sample. Position the document cursor and select Insert in the sample pane.

Select the inserted control, enter a choice in Item to add, and select Add item. Repeat for the remaining choices. Use a blank document when experimenting with Setup, because that button replaces document content.

Reuse a menu you already configured

Select the whole existing content control, including its container. On Windows, press Ctrl + C, position the cursor elsewhere, then press Ctrl + V.

Copying preserves the control’s text and property settings. On Windows, select the copied control and open Developer > Properties to change its choices. This lets you reuse a menu without entering all its choices again.

On Windows, you can also start with a template that already contains configured drop-downs. Open the template to create a document based on it, then save the resulting document separately.

To update an existing Windows template, open File > Open > This PC, locate Custom Office Templates, select the template, and choose Open. Update its controls and save the template.

Use the menu as part of a form

You can create a fillable form in Word that includes your menu alongside other answer fields. Choose a fixed-choice drop-down for supplied answers or a combo box for answers that can include typed text.

For other form elements, follow the steps to add clickable check boxes in Word. If you also need a line in the document, follow the steps to insert a line in Word.

Fix unavailable controls and remove unwanted menus

When an older document or template format prevents content-control insertion on Windows, select File > Info > Convert. Select OK and save the converted document. Then return to Developer and insert the modern drop-down content control.

To remove an unwanted control on Windows, right-click it and select Remove content control. On Mac, select the control and press Delete. Use these removal steps when you have inserted the wrong control type and want to replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a keyboard shortcut to insert a drop-down in Word?

On Windows, press Alt, then L to open the Developer tab after enabling it. Use Tab and the arrow keys to reach Drop-Down List Content Control or Combo Box Content Control, then press Enter or Spacebar. Navigate to Properties and configure the choices. These are sequential ribbon access keys for the US keyboard layout, with no dedicated drop-down insertion shortcut.

Can I put the drop-down insertion button on the Quick Access Toolbar?

Yes, on Windows, right-click Drop-Down List Content Control or Combo Box Content Control on the Developer tab and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar. You can then position the cursor and select that toolbar button to insert a control. Configure its choices through Developer > Properties.

Can a Word selector insert an entire reusable paragraph?

Yes, you can use a Building Block Gallery Content Control to choose reusable document content, including alternative paragraphs. On Windows, position the cursor and select Developer > Controls > Building Block Gallery Content Control. Select the control, open Properties, and choose the Gallery and Category containing the desired building blocks. Select OK to finish.

Why is an older ActiveX combo box blocked?

Microsoft disables ActiveX creation and interaction by default in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024. Microsoft recommends keeping that default unless ActiveX is necessary. You can create a modern drop-down content control without enabling ActiveX.

Which desktop versions support the Script Lab drop-down sample?

You need Windows Microsoft 365 version 2411, build 18227.20152 or later, or Mac version 16.91 or later, with WordApi 1.9 available. Your environment must also permit the add-in. WordApi 1.9 is unavailable in volume-licensed Windows LTSC editions.