Is there a way to make the text inside a select field gray out when the first option is selected? Can this be accomplished with just CSS or does it require JS?
I have attempted altering the style of the first option, but it only affects the text color in the dropdown menu.
<select>
<option>Please choose your preferred color</option>
<option>Blue</option>
<option>Green</option>
</select>
Presented here is an updated solution that does not rely on the initial option, but rather an invalid one. This method eliminates the need for JavaScript and displays only the title/placeholder option in grey while the other options appear normally.
select,
select option {
color: #000000;
}
select:invalid,
select option[value=""] {
color: #999999;
}
label {
display: block;
margin: 16px 0;
}
/*Added for browser compatibility*/
[hidden] {
display: none;
}<label>
The invalid option cannot be selected and is hidden from the user in the dropdown menu.
<select required>
<option value="" selected disabled hidden>Please select your favorite fruit</option>
<option>Apple</option>
<option>Banana</option>
</select>
</label>
<label>
The invalid option cannot be selected, but remains visible to the user in the dropdown menu.
<select required>
<option value="" selected disabled>Please select your favorite fruit</option>
<option>Apple</option>
<option>Banana</option>
</select>
</label>
<label>
The invalid option can be selected and is not hidden from the user in the dropdown menu.
<select required>
<option value="" selected>Please select your favorite fruit</option>
<option>Apple</option>
<option>Banana</option>
</select>
</label>The :invalid selector only applies to an option in the select box if the select field is mandatory and no value is assigned to the selected option. This allows styling similar to a placeholder text in a text box.
By setting it to disabled, users are prevented from choosing the option from the select list, while setting it to hidden conceals it from the available options.
To see this technique in action on a light background, check out my CodePen demonstration which also showcases various styles for select boxes.
For a more current solution, check out Tessa's improved answer below. This response is from almost 5 years ago, so there have been some changes since. The original content remains here for reference purposes.
This code is closer to what you're looking for:
To gray out the entire SELECT element when closed and then restore color to all OPTION elements while keeping the first one grayed out, use the following CSS:
CSS
select {
color: #ccc;
}
option {
color: #000;
}
option:first-child {
color: #ccc;
}
Update
HTML
<select onchange="changeMe(this)">
<option selected disabled>Please select your favorite fruit</option>
<option>Apple</option>
<option>Banana</option>
</select>
Javascript
<script type="text/javascript">
function changeMe(sel)
{
sel.style.color = "#000";
}
</script>
I've updated the jsFiddle with this code. You can view it here: http://jsfiddle.net/s5Xy2/5/
Also, please note that I made changes to the HTML part by adding the "disabled" attribute and adjusting the "selected" attribute accordingly.
If you prefer the pure CSS approach, it's available here: http://jsfiddle.net/s5Xy2/4/
Empowered by Fábio Silva's idea, here is a stylish solution implemented with AngularJS:
select {
color: #ccc;
}
option {
color: #aaa;
}
option:first-child {
color: #ccc;
}
select.ng-dirty {
color: #aaa;
}
Presenting my updated version for 2018, which incorporates elements from various responses along with a touch of my own JavaScript expertise. It appears that a solution without JavaScript is not feasible if you wish to have the first element displayed in gray when closed.
var grayout = document.getElementsByClassName('grayout');
var grayOutSelect = function() {
if ( this.value === "" ) {
this.classList.add('gray');
} else {
this.classList.remove('gray');
}
};
for (var i = 0; i < grayout.length; i++) {
grayout[i].addEventListener('change', grayOutSelect);
if ( grayout[i].value === "" ) {
grayout[i].classList.add('gray');
} else {
grayout[i].classList.remove('gray');
}
}select {
color: #333;
}
select.gray {
color: #aaa;
}
/* Optional styles for when the select is open. Doesn't work on all browsers */
option {
color: black;
}
.grayout option:first-child {
color: gray;
}
/* Extra / just to make the demo look nice */
body {
background: #ddd;
padding: 30px;
font-size: 20px;
}
select {
margin: 0;
vertical-align: top;
padding: 5px 60px 5px 8px;
background-color: #fff;
background-image: url('https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Feather-arrows-chevron-down.svg');
background-position: 97% center;
background-position: right 8px center;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-size: 18px;
border: 2px solid #999;
border-radius: 3px;
-webkit-appearance: button;
-webkit-border-radius: 3px;
-webkit-padding-end: 30px;
-webkit-padding-start: 8px;
-webkit-user-select: none;
-moz-appearance: none;
font-size: inherit;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
white-space: nowrap;
transition: border 300ms;
}<p>main example</p>
<p>
<select class="grayout">
<option value="">Please select your favourite fruit</option>
<option value="apple">Apple</option>
<option value="banana">Banana</option>
</select>
</p>
<p>one of the real options is selected</p>
<p>
<select class="grayout">
<option value="">Please select your favourite computer</option>
<option value="apple" selected>Apple</option>
<option value="c64">Commodore 64</option>
<option value="gateway2000">Gateway 2000</option>
</select>
</p>
<p>the grayout style is not applied here</p>
<p>
<select>
<option value="">Please select your favourite insult</option>
<option value="jerk">Jerk</option>
<option value="ahole">A**hole</option>
<option value="shakespeare">Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat</option>
</select>
</p>If you want to customize your code, try using this snippet:
<select id="drop">
<option>Please choose the best fruit</option>
<option>Apple</option>
<option>Banana</option>
</select>
<style type="text/css">
#drop :first-child
{
color:gray;
}
</style>
This piece of code will change the color of the first item in the dropdown to gray.
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