# Select Multiple

_How to add and configure a Select Multiple field in the {{Notebook}}
Editor._

---

## What This Field Does

A Select Multiple field lets users pick one or more options from a list,
returning an array of the selected values. It provides two display
modes: an expanded checklist (where all options are visible) and a
compact dropdown. By default, it displays as an expanded checklist.
Use it when items are not mutually exclusive — multiple materials
present, multiple features observed, multiple conditions noted
simultaneously — such as "damage types", "associated materials", or
"site formation processes".

## Adding the Field

To add this field, open the
[ADD A FIELD dialog](../shared-settings/adding-a-field.md), navigate to the **CHOICE**
tab, and click the **Select Multiple** card. Then click the
**ADD FIELD** button in the lower right.

> **Note:** The CHOICE tab may not be visible in the tab bar initially —
> click the **›** arrow button on the right side of the tab bar to scroll
> until it appears.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/multi-select-01-add-field.png
:alt: Adding a Select Multiple — the CHOICE tab in the ADD A FIELD dialog
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

## Configuring the Field

Click the field's **grey header bar** to expand it and see its settings.
For an overview of the settings shared by all fields — including Label,
Helper Text, Field ID, and the field toolbar — see
[Field Identity](../shared-settings/field-identity.md) and
[Field Toolbar](../shared-settings/field-toolbar.md).

Give the field a meaningful Label, review the auto-populated
Field ID, and add any desired Helper Text.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/multi-select-02-configured.png
:alt: Select Multiple configuration in the {{Notebook}} Editor
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

### Select Multiple-Specific Settings

The Select Multiple field provides an **options list** and display
controls. Below the Markdown syntax info banner, you will find the
**Add Option** input, the **Add "Other" Option** button, and a table
listing all current options.

| Setting                 | What It Does                                                                                                                           |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Options list**        | The choices available for selection. Each option appears as a row in the table.                                                        |
| **Add "Other" Option**  | Adds a special "Other" choice that prompts the collector to type a custom value when selected.                                         |
| **Display as dropdown** | When enabled, shows a compact dropdown instead of the default expanded checklist. Best for longer lists where screen space is limited. |
| **Exclusive**           | A per-option checkbox that marks an option as exclusive — selecting it clears all other selections (e.g., "None observed").            |

**Note**: As per the banner, you can use Markdown syntax in
option text (e.g., \*\*bold\*\* or \*italic\*) to add emphasis
or formatting to individual options.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/multi-select-03-options.png
:alt: Select Multiple options and shared field options — completing the field zone
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

**Managing options:**

- **To add an option:** Type the option text in the **Add Option** input
  field and click **Add** (or press Enter).
- **To edit an option:** Click the **pencil** icon in the option's Actions
  column.
- **To reorder options:** Drag the **six-dot handle** on the left of the
  option, or use the **up/down arrow** buttons in the Actions column.
- **To delete an option:** Click the **trash** icon in the option's Actions
  column.
- **To make an option exclusive:** Tick the **Exclusive** checkbox in the
  option's row. When a collector selects an exclusive option, all other
  selections are cleared.

The display label and stored value are always the same — what your users
see is exactly what appears in exported data.

### Shared Field Options

Configure any of the shared field options as needed.

For settings shared across all field types — including Required,
Annotation, Uncertainty, Conditions, Copy value to new records,
and Display in child records — see
[Field Options](../shared-settings/field-options.md).

## Tips

- **For fewer than ~8–10 options, keep the default expanded
  checklist** so all choices are visible at once — faster than
  opening a dropdown. For longer lists, enable the dropdown
  display to conserve screen space.
- **Configure exclusive options** when certain choices invalidate
  others. For example, selecting "None observed" should clear all other
  selections. Tick the Exclusive checkbox on that option's row.
- **Use Add "Other" Option** for controlled vocabularies that
  occasionally need ad-hoc entries. The "Other" choice prompts the
  collector to type a custom value alongside the structured selections.