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Select (Dropdown)

Configure a dropdown select field in Potato for single-choice annotation with long option lists — searchable, with optional default values and keyboard navigation.

The select type provides a dropdown menu for single selection. Best for longer lists of options (5+) where radio buttons would be visually overwhelming.

Potato dropdown select interface for choosing a document category from a menuSelect dropdown in Potato

Basic Configuration

yaml
annotation_schemes:
  - name: "category"

Configuration Options

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
namestringYesUnique identifier for the annotation
descriptionstringYesInstructions shown to annotators
annotation_typestringYesMust be "select"
labelsarrayYesList of options to choose from
defaultstringNoDefault selected option
requiredbooleanNoWhether selection is required

Examples

Document Classification

yaml
- name: "document_type"

Language Selection

yaml
- name: "language"

With Tooltips

yaml
- name: "genre"

Output Format

The select annotation outputs the selected option name:

json
{
  "id": "item_1",
  "annotations": {
    "category": "tutorial"
  }
}

When to Use Select vs Radio

Use SelectUse Radio
5+ options2-5 options
Options are well-known to annotatorsNeed to see all options at once
Space is limitedKeyboard shortcuts are important
Long option labelsQuick visual scanning needed

Best Practices

  1. Order options logically - Alphabetically, by frequency, or by semantic grouping
  2. Include "Other" option - When the list might not be exhaustive
  3. Use clear, distinct labels - Avoid ambiguous or overlapping categories
  4. Set sensible defaults - If one option is most common, consider making it the default