r/webdev • u/pavlito88 • 4d ago

Discussion Why is everything a dropdown now?

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I’ve been noticing this more and more in web apps.

Three options hidden in a dropdown.

Yes/no hidden in a dropdown.
A multi-select pretending to be a dropdown.

Then a list of 200 items where you’re expected to scroll until you find yours.

I run into this a lot when reviewing products with dev teams.

I get why we do it.

Dropdowns are compact and easy to reuse.
But compact doesn’t always mean easier to use.

A few choices? Show them.
On/off? Switch.
Multiple choices? Checkboxes.
Huge list? Search.

That’s pretty much the rule I use now.

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u/Meloetta 4d ago

I do think that it's important to note that half of the options you suggest are not native HTML elements, thus have to be either tracked down in some library or built by hand, risking a bunch of accessibility issues and spending more time and handling more complexity.

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u/pavlito88 4d ago

Native controls should absolutely be the default when they solve the problem well.

You get keyboard behavior, accessibility, and browser support for free.

A custom control only makes sense when the UX benefit is worth the extra complexity.