# Multi-select Dropdown checked initialization

**URL:** <https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Created:** [September 10, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112 "2021-09-10T15:06:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![paulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@paulf](https://forum.adalo.com/u/paulf)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/1 "2021-09-10T15:06:39Z")

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Is it possible to check/select individual items upon initialization of the multi-select dropdown. I have a multi-select dropdown that is correctly adding and removing items based on checking and unchecking the item. However, I’m unable to pre-set the check boxes correctly based on what a user has selected previously.

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**Author:** ![Yongki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yongki](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Yongki)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/2 "2021-09-10T21:27:14Z")

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Hi @paulf ,

Before the screen that show this multi select, you can update the relationship with add in the property, as many as you need.

Adding relationship in many to many is using update action and put add collection name in that property.

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**Author:** ![paulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@paulf](https://forum.adalo.com/u/paulf)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/3 "2021-09-13T09:20:28Z")

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Thanks Yongki. Can I confirm what you mean:

1. Create a new collection called ‘add’
2. Create a new many-many relationship property called ‘add’ between my target data collection and the collection called ‘add’
3. Update my target data collection on the screen prior to use so that the relationship is created for those items I wished to be initially set as checked in the dropdown

Is that correct?

Thanks

Paul

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**Author:** ![Yongki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yongki](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Yongki)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 9:32am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/4 "2021-09-13T09:32:19Z")

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1. No
2. No
3. Yes

Multi select dropdown using many-to-many relationship is updated by using update action and add “collection name” and remove “collection name” to its relationship property.

This is unique for m-to-m, but for 1-to-m update the “m” side collection using create action with relationship property pointed to “1” side.

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**Author:** ![paulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@paulf](https://forum.adalo.com/u/paulf)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 10:35am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/5 "2021-09-13T10:35:25Z")

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I have the actions for ‘add’ and ‘remove’ set up, those are working fine. My question is how do I get the correct boxes checked when the dropdown box is initialized, there’s nowhere to specify what relationship is used for this. Each time I go to the screen containing the dropdown all the items are unchecked.

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**Author:** ![Yongki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yongki](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Yongki)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/6 "2021-09-13T14:33:23Z")

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What I would do is to have countdown inside custom list and have actions to update add according to collection in that custom list.

For showing the result, this could be replacement.

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/b/b/bb170e22b4c8830aae8b622ef2d64a4a6965882c.jpeg "Custom Multi-Selects in Adalo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77IAZ-Tqcxw)

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**Author:** ![paulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@paulf](https://forum.adalo.com/u/paulf)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/7 "2021-09-13T15:13:22Z")

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The approach in the video works for my use case. Thanks a lot.

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/system/32/40401_2.png) [@system](https://forum.adalo.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/multi-select-dropdown-checked-initialization/17112/8 "2021-09-23T15:13:58Z")

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Closed on September 23, 2021, 3:13pm UTC

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