Example
Select the <option> element with index "2":
document.getElementById("mySelect").selectedIndex = "2";
Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The selectedIndex property sets or returns the index of the selected option in a drop-down list.
The index starts at 0.
Note: If the drop-down list allows multiple selections it will only return the index of the first option selected.
Note: The value "-1" will deselect all options (if any).
Note: If no option is selected, the selectedIndex property will return -1.
Browser Support
The selectedIndex property is supported in all major browsers.
Syntax
Return the selectedIndex property:
selectObject.selectedIndex
Set the selectedIndex property:
selectObject.selectedIndex=number
Property Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| number | Specifies the index of the selected option in a drop-down list |
Technical Details
| Return Value: | A Number, representing the index of the selected option in the drop-down list. The index starts at 0. If no option is selected, the value returned is -1 |
|---|
More Examples
Example
Display the index and text of the selected option in a drop-down list:
var x = document.getElementById("mySelect").selectedIndex;
var y = document.getElementById("mySelect").options;
alert("Index: " + y[x].index + " is " + y[x].text);
Try it Yourself »
Example
Deselect all options:
document.getElementById("mySelect").selectedIndex = "-1";
Try it Yourself »
Example
The selectedIndex property will return "-1" if no options are selected:
var x = document.getElementById("mySelect").selectedIndex;
Try it Yourself »
< Select Object