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Dynamic Drop down dependent on another dropdown

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Paul_La_Vigna
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Helllo,
New to the Airtable platform.
I am wondering if this is possible.

I am developing a manufacturing schedule and in the schedule you have a Phase and multiple (different) steps in each phase.

Ideally I would like a (2) drop-downs side by side and the second one becomes dependent on what you chose in the first.

So if i Choose Phase 3 the second column would only show steps associated with Phase 3 not all the others.

Thanks

21 Replies 21

It’s not possible currently.

Here are some #feature-requests and #support questions that address something similar/related:

Shannon_Johlic
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Looks like I’ll have to abandon Airtable. This is a much needed (and VERY much requested feature/capability) and yet no one from support offers any real help. EVERY client I have been trying to use Airtable with needs this functionality (for instance - selecting a “PRODUCT FAMILY” and then having “PRODUCT SUBFAMILY” options populate related only to “PRODUCT FAMILY”).

Really wish they would offer some kind of support for this.

Mary_Alderdice
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

I, too, am frustrated by the lack of support for this in the various database-alike services online.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a solution for this? (Either SaaS or an application (Mac and/or iOS support necessary).)

meri

While this functionality still does not exist using conditional single selects — that is, where the list of possible choices for a {Subcategory} selection depends upon an earlier choice made in a {Category} selection — it is now possible for linked records, where {Category}, {Subcategory}, and, if you wish {Subsubcategory}, {Subsubsubcategory}, and so on are presented in the form of a linked record.

There are limitations; to quote from my original announcement

First, the caveats:

  1. This version of the routines requires all selections be made in the form of linked records. While variations are possible where only the final, limited selection be presented as a linked record, they impose other limitations: namely, that each record of the main table be linked to a single record in the [Control] table for conditional logic to work. The version discussed here and in the referenced base requires only category and subcategory tables to be linked to [Control] ; records may be added to the main table without any such preliminary housekeeping.
  2. Currently, there is no way to limit user choice to already-existing linked records; a user may create a new linked record at any selection level. While there are ways to generate an alert should such a thing happen, there is, to my knowledge, no way to prevent it. (Yes, a user entering data from an Airtable form cannot create a new linked record — but see the next entry.)
  3. Perhaps most disappointingly, because of the way Airtable creates records entered from a form view, these routines do not work with forms.

The original announcement can be found here. It contains a description of the process, screenshots, and links to two example bases, one demonstrating Category → Subcategory conditional links, the other Category → Subcategory → SubSubcategory.

(Note this capability is only possible because of a recent enhancement made to Airtable.)

Edwin_Brito
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Any idea when this functionality is going to be available?

It seems like a must do when managing data :-?

Alec_Fotsch1
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

I would also really appreciate the ability to have single select with a family followed by a subfamily where the sub family is dependent on the family selected.

YoDee
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

SWITCH() statement does it perfectly well for me

=SWITCH({DERIVED FIELD},"SOURCE VALUE 1", "DERIVED VALUE 1", "SOURCE VALUE 2", "DERIVED VALUE 2", "SOURCE VALUE 3", "DERIVED VALUE 3", "SOURCE VALUE 4", "DERIVED VALUE 4", "SOURCE VALUE 5", "DERIVED VALUE 6", "SOURCE VALUE 6", "DERIVED VALUE 6", "SOURCE VALUE 7", "DERIVED VALUE 7", "SOURCE VALUE 8", "DERIVED VALUE 8")

Thank you for this! Hopefully they’ll build this functionality in seamlessly. I too need it for the work I’m doing.

Gespion
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Hello guys, so I’ve also been looking for a way to do this conditional selection with categories and sub-categories. Here’s my take on it which is working but might be hard to main if you have a lot of cat/sub-cat:

  1. Create your form with a Category Field (CF) having a single select type and add your categories list.
    0

  2. Create as many tables as you have categories (in each table, add a single column then add your sub-categories list)
    2

  3. In your form, add a new field to be used as your dynamic Sub-Category Field (SCF). Then link your SCF to your CF.
    3-

  4. Select the option Show field only when conditions are met. Then select your CF name and one of the categories in the list like below.
    4

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each category on your category list.
    1.

Hope it will help some of you while Airtable add this as a native feature.