HTML <option> selected Attribute
Example
A drop-down list with a pre-selected option:
<select>
<option value="volvo">Volvo</option>
<option value="saab">Saab</option>
<option value="vw">VW</option>
<option value="audi" selected>Audi</option>
</select>
Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The selected attribute is a boolean attribute.
When present, it specifies that an option should be pre-selected when the page loads.
The pre-selected option will be displayed first in the drop-down list.
Tip: The selected attribute can also be set after the page loads, with a JavaScript.
Browser Support
| Attribute | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| selected | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5
NONE.
Differences Between HTML and XHTML
In XHTML, attribute minimization is forbidden, and the selected attribute must be defined as <option selected="selected">.
Syntax
<option selected>
❮ HTML <option> tag
