---
title: "Rediscover the HTML select element"
description: "Use Customizable Select in Safari 27 to style native HTML select controls with CSS, rich option content, and accessible progressive enhancement."
shoutout: "Unofficial, made with love by Superwall - the best way to monetize your apps."
category: "Safari & Web"
---

# Rediscover the HTML select element


[Watch on Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2026/315/)

Use Customizable Select in Safari 27 to style native HTML select controls with CSS, rich option content, and accessible progressive enhancement.

## TL;DR

- Customizable Select lets developers restyle native HTML `select` controls with CSS while retaining semantic HTML, keyboard behavior, screen reader support, and native fallback.
- Opt in with `appearance: base-select`, then style the button, open state, picker icon, drop-down picker, selected option, and option checkmark using new selectors and pseudo-elements.
- Options can contain rich content such as SVGs, images, spans, emojis, or video, and the picker can use layouts such as CSS Grid instead of a vertical text-only list.
- A custom first-child `button` plus the new `selectedcontent` element lets the select button mirror the rich content of the currently selected option; unsupported browsers fall back to the native popup.

## Why Customizable Select matters

Historically, styling a drop-down beyond the platform-native `select` often pushed web developers toward JavaScript widgets or `div`-based replacements, which can make keyboard interaction, screen reader behavior, and form semantics harder to preserve. Customizable Select keeps the existing HTML `select` element and exposes new CSS hooks for styling it.

The feature is presented as available in Safari 27 and Chrome 135. Because the markup remains semantic, browsers that do not support the new customization model continue to show a usable native popup.

- Use `select` and `option` instead of replacing the control with custom non-semantic markup.
- Keep built-in keyboard navigation and screen reader integration from the native element.
- Treat the feature as progressive enhancement: enhanced styling where supported, native control where not supported.

### Basic semantic select markup

Start from ordinary labeled `select` markup so the control remains accessible and has a native fallback.

```text
<label for="sort-select">Sort by</label>
<select id="sort-select">
  <option>Newest</option>
  <option>Oldest</option>
</select>
```

## Style the select button

The new styling model starts by applying `appearance: base-select` to the `select`. This opts out of the fully native look while retaining a base control that can inherit page fonts and accept familiar CSS such as background, border, and padding.

The select button can also react to the open state. Use `:open` to change button styles while the menu is displayed, and use `::picker-icon` to customize the drop-down arrow glyph.

- Apply `appearance: base-select` to the `select` to begin customization.
- Style the button with normal CSS properties such as `background-color`, `border`, and `padding`.
- Use `select:open` for the expanded state.
- Use `select::picker-icon` or `select:open::picker-icon` to replace or restyle the arrow.

### Opt in and style the button

`appearance: base-select` enables the customizable select styling model and allows page typography and button styles to apply.

```text
body {
  font-family: Gill Sans, sans-serif;
}

select {
  appearance: base-select;
  background-color: var(--green-10);
  border: none;
  padding: 0.6em 1em;
}
```

### Style the open state and picker icon

The `:open` pseudo-class and `::picker-icon` pseudo-element customize the button while the picker is visible.

```text
select:open {
  background-color: var(--green-100);
  color: white;
}

select:open::picker-icon {
  content: url(icons/arrow-white.svg);
}
```

## Customize the drop-down picker and options

The drop-down menu itself is exposed through `::picker(select)`. As with the button, the picker is first opted into the base styling model with `appearance: base-select`, then styled with spacing, borders, radius, and shadows.

Options can be styled with existing state selectors such as `:checked`, and the default checkmark can be replaced through `option::checkmark`.

- Use `::picker(select)` to target the menu surface.
- Set `appearance: base-select` on `::picker(select)` before styling the picker.
- Use `option:checked` to emphasize the selected option.
- Use `option:not(:checked)` for non-selected options.
- Use `option::checkmark` to replace or hide the selection indicator.

### Style the picker surface

The picker can be styled like other UI surfaces once it opts into `base-select`.

```text
::picker(select) {
  appearance: base-select;
  padding: 4px;
  margin-top: 0.5em;
  border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
  border-radius: 9px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
}
```

### Style selected and unselected options

Use option states and `::checkmark` to customize how the active option is communicated visually.

```text
option:checked {
  font-weight: 600;
}

option:not(:checked) {
  color: #777;
}

option::checkmark {
  content: url(checkmark.svg);
  width: 0.65em;
}
```

## Use rich option content and custom layouts

Customizable Select allows option contents to go beyond plain text. The session demonstrates SVG icons and labels inside `option` elements for a category picker. Empty `alt` text is used on decorative images so screen readers do not announce both the image and the adjacent label.

The picker is not limited to a vertical list. Because the picker is styleable, it can use CSS layout features such as Grid to arrange visual options in rows and columns.

- Place content such as images, SVGs, spans, emojis, or video inside `option` elements.
- Use decorative image `alt=""` when the visible text label already names the option.
- If the default checkmark is removed, provide another clear selected state such as color or background.
- Use CSS Grid on `::picker(select)` when a visual menu would be too tall as a single column.

### Option with image and label

Rich option markup can include an icon and text while avoiding duplicate screen reader announcements for decorative images.

```text
<option value="flower">
  <img src="flowers.svg" alt="">
  <span class="text">Flowers</span>
</option>
```

### Grid layout for the picker

The picker can use CSS Grid to present options in a compact visual layout.

```text
::picker(select) {
  display: grid;
  grid-template: 1fr 1fr / 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  gap: 1rem;
}
```

## Show rich selected content in the button

By default, the select button displays text. To show the rich content from the selected option-such as the selected SVG icon plus label-Customizable Select allows a `button` element as the first child of the `select`. Inside that button, the new `selectedcontent` element mirrors the rich content of the currently selected option.

This enables the closed select button to visually match the selected option without duplicating option-specific UI manually.

- Place a `button` as the first child of the `select` to replace the built-in select button.
- Put `selectedcontent` inside that button to display the selected option's rich content.
- Keep the actual choices in `option` elements so form semantics and fallback remain intact.

### Custom select button with selectedcontent

The custom button displays the rich content of the currently selected option through `selectedcontent`.

```text
<select>
  <button>
    <selectedcontent></selectedcontent>
  </button>
  <option value="anywhere">
    <img src="icons/all.svg" alt="">
    <span class="text">Everything</span>
  </option>
  <option value="buildings">
    <img src="icons/buildings.svg" alt="">
    <span class="text">Buildings</span>
  </option>
  <option value="flowers">
    <img src="icons/flower.svg" alt="">
    <span class="text">Flowers</span>
  </option>
</select>
```

## Fallback, testing, and next steps

Unsupported browsers fall back to the native popup because the implementation still uses the standard `select` element. The recommended workflow is to test both enhanced and non-enhanced experiences, and to validate behavior with assistive tools.

To try the feature before broad Safari 27 availability, use Safari Technology Preview or Safari Beta. The session points to the WebKit customizable select demo and recommends the related Grid Lanes session for the photo layout shown around the select examples.

- Test in browsers that support Customizable Select and browsers that do not.
- Test with assistive technologies, especially when using rich option content and custom selected states.
- Use the WebKit demo as a reference implementation.
- Consult "Learn CSS Grid Lanes" for the layout method used elsewhere in the demo site.

## Resources

- [WebKit.org - Example website demonstrating Customizable Select](https://webkit.org/demos/customizable-select/)
- [WebKit.org - CSS Grid Lanes Field Guide](https://gridlanes.webkit.org/)
- [WebKit.org - Report issues to the WebKit open-source project](https://bugs.webkit.org/)
- [Submit feedback](http://feedbackassistant.apple.com/)

## Related Sessions

- [Learn CSS Grid Lanes](https://wwdc.ai/2026/314)
- [What's new in WebKit for Safari 27](https://wwdc.ai/2026/204)

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