The Dropdown List and Fixed List are two similar control types in Looker Studio that allow the end user of the report to select values to filter the data displayed.
Visit the post on how to add controls to your report in Looker Studio, if you need a refresher.
For the examples in this post, I’ve used the Superstore Products dataset. Visit the post on how to add data sources in Looker Studio to learn more about it and about how to access the data.
1. Dropdown List
What is it?
A Dropdown List allows users to select one or more values to filter the charts on the page they’re viewing. At the top of the list, there is a search box for finding specific values, which is especially useful for longer lists.
When to use it?
Use this control when you want to let the user choose one or multiple categories to filter data.
Example
Let’s create a table with Product Name along with Quantity and Gross Revenue as metrics.
To create the table, select Product Name as the dimension, and Quantity and Gross Revenue as the metrics. In the Style section, I changed the header text color to blue. Under Table Colours, I set the Header Background Colour to transparent and the Odd Row Colour to light gray.
Imagine you want to filter the table by the various product subcategories. Once you’ve added the control, select Subcategory as the control field. Since we are analysing quantity and gross revenue per product, you can choose either as the metric. I prefer adding a metric for context, but you can choose whether to show the values (by enabling Show values) or not.
Here are two images: the first shows the dropdown list before expanding…
And the second shows the list expanded.
2. Fixed List
What is it?
The Fixed List works like the dropdown list, but in this case, the list is already expanded. It also has a search field at the top.
When to use it?
Use the fixed list when you want to display all available options without requiring the user to click to expand the list. Essentially, it saves the user a click. However, if the dimension contains many values, the user will still need to scroll (just like in the dropdown list).
Example
The fixed list in the following image uses Category as the control field. Since this dimension only has three values, all can be seen on the screen without scrolling. You can use Gross Revenue again as the metric, which helps to sort the values.
The fixed list above is configured as follows:
Which type of list do you prefer between the two we’ve seen? I personally use the dropdown more often because it leaves more space on the page for charts.