---
title: "Search: Changing the default option in a select (drop down) field"
date: 2026-04-23
author: "GravityKit"
link: "https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/customizing-your-views/search-changing-the-default-option-in-a-select-drop-down-field/"
---

By default, the first option of a drop-down field (also called a "select") on a search bar is a dash "—".

![Dropdown for selecting business type with search button below](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/file-51wkVoegAj.png)
*We can change that to a more intuitive text like "-- Select --" by using this code below:*
```

/**
 * Modify the text for the default option in a select (multi or single dropdown)
 *
 * @param string $default_option Default: `—` (—)
 * @param string $field_type Field type: "select" or "multiselect"
 * 
 * @return string
 */
add_filter( 'gravityview/extension/search/select_default', function( $default, $select_type = 'select' ) {

	if( 'select' === $select_type ) {
		return '-- Select --';
	}
	
	return '-- Select One or More --';
}, 10, 2 );
```

```

/**
 * Modify the text for the default option in a select (multi or single dropdown)
 *
 * @param string $default_option Default: `—` (—)
 * @param string $field_type Field type: "select" or "multiselect"
 * 
 * @return string
 */
add_filter( 'gravityview/extension/search/select_default', function( $default, $select_type = 'select' ) {

	if( 'select' === $select_type ) {
		return '-- Select --';
	}
	
	return '-- Select One or More --';
}, 10, 2 );
```

Read here how to add these code samples to your website: [Where to put code samples.](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/customizing-your-views/where-to-put-code-samples/)

Here's how it'll look now:

![Dropdown labeled 'Business Type' with default '-- Select --' and red 'SEARCH' button](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/file-C3DCXVBQ8y.png)
*The same code snippet works for Multi Select fields:*![Dropdown for selecting industries: Air Transportation, Apparel Manufacturing, Crop Production, with default "Select One or…](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/file-HfKVxSST9j.png)