The Need for Structured Documents
Google Docs is primarily a word processor designed for freeform writing. However, many businesses use it to create structured forms, project tracking sheets, client onboarding templates, and meeting agendas.
When multiple people are filling out the same template, you run into a major data consistency problem. If you ask a team to type in the status of a project, one person might type “In Progress,” another might type “Working on it,” and a third might just type “Started.” This makes reviewing the document confusing and frustrating.
To solve this, Google recently introduced a native Drop-down feature directly into Google Docs. Instead of relying on users to type the correct response, you can force them to select from a predefined list of approved options. This keeps your documents clean, standardized, and easy to read.
How to Insert a Standard Drop-down List
Google provides a few pre-made templates for common use cases, which is the fastest way to get started.
- Open your document in Google Docs on a desktop computer. (Note: You cannot create new drop-downs using the mobile app, though you can interact with existing ones).
- Click your mouse cursor exactly where you want the drop-down menu to appear in the text.
- Look at the top menu bar and click on Insert.
- Scroll down and select Drop-down.
- A small menu will appear showing two pre-made options:
- Project Status: Contains options like “Not Started,” “Blocked,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.”
- Review Status: Contains options like “Not Started,” “In Review,” and “Approved.”
- Click on the preset that best fits your needs.
A small, pill-shaped button will instantly appear in your document. When a user clicks that button, the menu will expand, allowing them to select an option. The pill will even change colour based on their selection.
How to Create a Custom Drop-down List
If the built-in “Project Status” presets do not fit your specific workflow, you can easily build your own list from scratch.
For example, if you are building an HR onboarding form, you might want a drop-down asking the new employee to select their specific department.
- Click where you want the menu to go.
- Click Insert > Drop-down.
- Instead of clicking a preset, click on + New drop-down at the bottom of the menu.
- A “Drop-down options” window will appear.
- Template name: Give your list a name (e.g., “Company Departments”). This name is just for your own reference; the reader will not see it.
- Options: In the text boxes below, type the choices you want the user to see. (e.g., Option 1: Sales, Option 2: Marketing, Option 3: Engineering, Option 4: Human Resources).
- Colours: Click the small grey circle to the left of each option to assign it a specific colour. This makes the final document much easier to scan visually.
- If you need more than four choices, click the + New option button at the bottom to add as many as you need.
- If you need to delete a choice, click the trash can icon on the far right of that row.
- Click Save.
Your custom drop-down will now appear in the document.
How to Edit or Remove an Existing Drop-down
If you made a typo, or if your company creates a new department that needs to be added to the list, you can easily edit the drop-down after it has been inserted.
- Click on the drop-down pill currently in your document.
- When the list of options expands, look at the very bottom and click Add/Edit Options.
- This will re-open the template editor, allowing you to change the text, adjust the colours, or add new rows.
- When you click Save, Google Docs will ask if you want to apply this change to just this specific drop-down, or to all drop-downs in the document that use this template. Choose the appropriate option.
To completely remove a drop-down from your document, you do not need to use a menu. Simply click your mouse cursor right immediately after the drop-down pill and press the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard, just as if you were deleting a normal word.
