How to Create and Manage Dropdown Chips in Google Docs

The Power of Dropdown Chips in Documents

Historically, word processors were static environments. You typed text, formatted it, and printed it. If you needed interactive elements like drop-down menus to track project status or assign tasks, you had to switch to a spreadsheet application like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

Google Docs has bridged this gap with the introduction of Dropdown Chips (part of their broader “Smart Chips” initiative). Dropdown Chips allow you to insert custom, clickable menus directly into the flow of your text or inside tables. This transforms a static document into an interactive project tracker, approval form, or CRM template without forcing users to navigate complex spreadsheet formulas.

How to Insert a Built-In Dropdown Chip

Google provides a few pre-made dropdown templates to help you get started quickly.

1. Open your Google Docs file.
2. Place your cursor exactly where you want the dropdown menu to appear (this is often inside a table cell next to a task name).
3. Type the @ symbol on your keyboard to open the smart menu.
4. Begin typing dropdown.
5. Select Dropdown from the list of suggestions.

Alternatively, you can navigate to the top menu bar, click Insert, and select Dropdown.

A menu will appear offering preset options like:

• Project Status: (Not started, In progress, Under review, Completed).
• Review Status: (Not started, In progress, Under review, Approved).

Click on one of these presets to insert the chip into your document.

How to Create a Custom Dropdown Chip

The true power of this feature lies in creating your own custom menus tailored to your specific workflow, such as assigning priority levels or tracking specific department approvals.

Step 1: Start a New Template

1. Type @dropdown and select it from the menu.
2. Instead of clicking a preset, click + New dropdown at the bottom of the list.
3. The “Dropdown template options” sidebar will appear on the right side of your screen.

Step 2: Configure the Options

1. Template Name: Give your dropdown a clear name (e.g., Bug Severity). This saves the template so you can reuse it later in the same document.
2. Option 1, 2, 3: Click into the text boxes to rename the choices (e.g., change Option 1 to “Low Priority”, Option 2 to “Critical”).
3. Colour Coding: Click the small grey circle to the left of each option to assign a specific colour. Colour coding is highly recommended as it allows readers to understand the status of a document at a quick glance.
4. Add or Remove Options: Click the + New option button to add more choices, or click the trash can icon next to an option to delete it.
5. Click Save when finished. The custom chip will instantly appear in your document.

How to Edit or Delete an Existing Dropdown

If your project requirements change, you may need to update the options available in your dropdown menus.

1. Click on the Dropdown Chip you want to modify in the document.
2. At the bottom of the menu that appears, click Add / Edit Options.
3. The sidebar will reappear. Make your changes to the text, colours, or available options.
4. Click Save.

A prompt will appear asking if you want to apply this change to Just this instance or Update all. If you used this specific dropdown template multiple times in the document (such as in a long project table), clicking “Update all” will instantly refresh every chip to reflect your new changes, saving you massive amounts of manual editing time.

To completely delete a Dropdown Chip from the document, simply click behind it and press the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard, just as you would with a regular text character.