# Display choice component even when there are no dropdown items **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [June 25, 2025, 8:43am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721 "2025-06-25T08:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/ramya_venkatesh/32/88271_2.png) [@Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Ramya_Venkatesh)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 8:43am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/1 "2025-06-25T08:43:43Z")
Hi, I have a choice component and I’m filtering the dropdown values based on a previous selection. However, when there are no items to show in the dropdown, the dropdown is not visible at all? I want the dropdown to be shown but with maybe something like ‘No items’ or some other default to indicate it’s empty. Any way to achieve this? ![Screenshot 2025-06-25 at 2.12.58 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/1/7/170bd5a2c609a6eb333c5df3b499bd32348008e2.png) ![Screenshot 2025-06-25 at 2.13.14 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/b/5/b5f0a561f23de8ee63249bb449c30ac6a997318b.png) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/2 "2025-06-25T12:24:07Z")
You could have a row in your choice table where the value is a space character or some other default. Then adjust your filter to always include that row in the list of choices. Only problem is that a user will still be able to select it as a valid choice. ---
**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/3 "2025-06-25T14:27:29Z")
The alternative to this is doing it in a custom form. You’ll have real time access to the written data, and can calculate in advance if a choice component won’t have any values. OR, point relevant entries to user profiles columns, and calculate based on those, in a normal form. Then submit those fields to the new row with special form values. ---
**Author:** ![Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/ramya_venkatesh/32/88271_2.png) [@Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Ramya_Venkatesh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/4 "2025-06-27T03:06:04Z")
Yeah, that might be a problem because I have a few other computations depending on the value of this dropdown. Suspect it’ll get complex.. ---
**Author:** ![Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/ramya_venkatesh/32/88271_2.png) [@Ramya\_Venkatesh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Ramya_Venkatesh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 3:07am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/5 "2025-06-27T03:07:07Z")
Hi @ThinhDinh, I don’t think I understand how to do either of that. Could you point me to some videos or docs? ---
**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/display-choice-component-even-when-there-are-no-dropdown-items/82721/6 "2025-06-27T23:39:06Z")
I don’t have a video, but here’s a guide on how to create a custom form. > [@How do I create a custom form?](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-create-a-custom-form/25014): > > I’m just dropping this here so I have something to refer people to when they ask. This is a simple concept app (copyable), that demonstrates the following techniques: Building custom forms for adding and editing list items (as an alternative to the native forms provided by Glide) Preventing duplicate new entries using [User Specific Columns](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/user-specific-columns) and [Relations](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/computed-columns/relation-column) Enforcing mandatory input items The use of visibility conditions and user specific booleans to control user flow There is nothing particular… Let me know if you need help on any parts, and make sure you show us what you have built at that point.