---
id: api/commands/select
title: select | Cypress Documentation
description: Select an option within a select in Cypress.
section: api
source_path: docs/api/commands/select.mdx
version: 3cf5b86b3403f604bdf7f3e35025c3bc3865e02c
updated_at: '2026-05-07T17:44:31.931Z'
---
# select

Select an `<option>` within a `<select>`.

It is [unsafe](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/retry-ability.md#Only-queries-are-retried) to chain further commands that rely on the subject after `.select()`.

## Syntax

```
.select(value).select(values).select(value, options).select(values, options)
```

### Usage

**Correct Usage**

```
cy.get('select').select('user-1') // Select the 'user-1' option
```

**Incorrect Usage**

```
cy.select('John Adams') // Errors, cannot be chained off 'cy'cy.clock().select() // Errors, 'clock' does not yield a <select> element
```

### Arguments

**value _(String, Number)_**

The `value`, `index`, or text content of the `<option>` to be selected.

**values _(Array)_**

An array of `values`, `indexes`, or text contents of the `<option>`s to be selected.

**options _(Object)_**

Pass in an options object to change the default behavior of `.select()`.

| Option | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `force` | `false` | Forces the action, disables [waiting for actionability](#Assertions) |
| `log` | `true` | Displays the command in the [Command log](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/open-mode.md#Command-Log) |
| `timeout` | [`defaultCommandTimeout`](/llm/markdown/app/references/configuration.md#Timeouts) | Time to wait for `.select()` to resolve before [timing out](#Timeouts) |

### Yields [Learn about subject management](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Subject-Management)

*   `.select()` yields the same subject it was given.
*   It is [unsafe](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/retry-ability.md#Only-queries-are-retried) to chain further commands that rely on the subject after `.select()`.

## Examples

### Text Content

#### Select the `option` with the text `apples`

```
<select>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
// yields <option value="456">apples</option>cy.get('select').select('apples').should('have.value', '456')
```

### Value

#### Select the `option` with the value "456"

```
<select>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
// yields <option value="456">apples</option>cy.get('select').select('456').should('have.value', '456')
```

### Index

#### Select the `option` with index 0

```
<select>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
// yields <option value="456">apples</option>cy.get('select').select(0).should('have.value', '456')
```

### Select multiple options

#### Select the options with the texts "apples" and "bananas"

```
<select multiple>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
cy.get('select')  .select(['apples', 'bananas'])  .invoke('val')  .should('deep.equal', ['456', '458'])
```

#### Select the options with the values "456" and "457"

```
<select multiple>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
cy.get('select')  .select(['456', '457'])  .invoke('val')  .should('deep.equal', ['456', '457'])
```

#### Select the options with the indexes 0 and 1

```
<select multiple>  <option value="456">apples</option>  <option value="457">oranges</option>  <option value="458">bananas</option></select>
```

```
cy.get('select')  .select([0, 1])  .invoke('val')  .should('deep.equal', ['456', '457'])
```

**Note:** Passing an array into `cy.select()` will select only the options matching values in the array, leaving all other options unselected (even those that were previously selected). In the same manner, calling `cy.select([])` with an empty array will clear selections on all options.

### Force select

#### Force select a hidden `<select>`

```
<select style="display: none;">  <optgroup label="Fruits">    <option value="banana">Banana</option>    <option value="apple">Apple</option>  </optgroup>  <optgroup></optgroup></select>
```

```
cy.get('select')  .select('banana', { force: true })  .invoke('val')  .should('eq', 'banana')
```

#### Force select a disabled `<select>`

Passing `{ force: true }` to `.select()` will override the actionability checks for selecting a disabled `<select>`. However, it will not override the actionability checks for selecting a disabled `<option>` or an option within a disabled `<optgroup>`. See [this issue](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/107) for more detail.

```
<select disabled>  <optgroup label="Veggies">    <option value="okra">Okra</option>    <option value="zucchini">Zucchini</option>  </optgroup>  <optgroup></optgroup></select>
```

```
cy.get('select')  .select('okra', { force: true })  .invoke('val')  .should('eq', 'okra')
```

### Selected option

You can get the currently selected option using the jQuery's [:selected selector](https://api.jquery.com/selected-selector/).

```
<select id="name">  <option>Joe</option>  <option>Mary</option>  <option selected="selected">Peter</option></select>
```

```
cy.get('select#name option:selected').should('have.text', 'Peter')
```

## Notes

### Actionability

`.select()` is an action command that follows the rules of [Actionability](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/interacting-with-elements.md).

However, passing `{ force: true }` to `.select()` will not override the actionability checks for selecting a disabled `<option>` or an option within a disabled `<optgroup>`. See [this issue](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/107) for more detail.

## Rules

### Requirements [Learn about chaining commands](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Chains-of-Commands)

*   `.select()` requires being chained off a command that yields DOM element(s).
*   `.select()` requires the element to be a `select`.

### Assertions [Learn about assertions](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Assertions)

*   `.select()` will automatically wait for the element to reach an [actionable state](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/interacting-with-elements.md).
*   `.select()` will automatically [retry](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/retry-ability.md) until all chained assertions have passed.

### Timeouts [Learn about timeouts](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Timeouts)

*   `.select()` can time out waiting for the element to reach an [actionable state](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/interacting-with-elements.md).
*   `.select()` can time out waiting for assertions you've added to pass.

## Command Log

**_Select the option with the text "Homer Simpson"_**

```
cy.get('select').select('Homer Simpson')
```

The commands above will display in the Command Log as:

When clicking on `select` within the command log, the console outputs the following:

## See also

*   Read [Working with Select elements and Select2 widgets in Cypress](https://www.cypress.io/blog/2020/03/20/working-with-select-elements-and-select2-widgets-in-cypress/)
*   [`.click()`](/llm/markdown/api/commands/click.md)