Dropdown or radio buttons?
A dropdown hides the options until it is opened. That is a cost: the respondent cannot scan the choices while reading the question, and short lists take an extra tap for nothing.
So the rule of thumb is simple. Up to about seven options, show them openly as a single choice question. Beyond that, or when people already know their answer before they see the list (their country, their department), a dropdown keeps the screen clean.
Order matters inside a long list. Alphabetical order works for names people search for. A logical order (from smallest to largest, or by frequency) works for categories. A list in random order forces everyone to read it all.
Make sure the options do not overlap and that everyone fits somewhere. If a respondent cannot find their department, they pick the nearest one and your data gets quietly wrong.
Dropdown question examples
- Which department do you work in?
- What industry is your company in?
- Which model do you own?
Options, placeholder and the phone view
You add, rename and delete options in the editor, or paste a whole list at once and choose whether to append it or replace the current options. The placeholder is editable; by default it reads «Choose an option».
On a phone, a tap opens the list as a popover and a second tap picks the answer.
Every option can lead to its own branch in the survey logic, so «Sales» and «Engineering» can go on to different questions. In quiz mode a dropdown can carry a correct answer and points.
Results show a bar list sorted by count with the top answer marked, and the CSV export carries the option wording.
What you can set
- the list of options
- hint inside the empty field