Resetting an autocomplete dropdown?

Question

In one of our filters panels, we have a dropdown that is optional and acts as an autocomplete dropdown. Essentially the values appear when a user clicks/searches the field. We need to allow the user to reset the dropdown as it's optional if they have added the value and wish to remove it.

If this was not an autocomplete dropdown, then it would be possible to have the default dropdown name as the reset option. However, because it is, this may seem strange. Do you have any suggestions for how one must approach this? These are the things that I thought of: 1. Having none as an option. 2. Allowing them to reset it by removing any value them put in by backspacing it (as the dropdown is autocompleted this is allowed) by clicking out of it - not sure if this is feasible technically yet, but an idea.

An extra piece of context - when this dropdown has a value, another dropdown appears that is connected to it. When the value is removed, that dropdown disappears.

Thanks all!

Answer 1

It sounds like you have a text input field (or textbox) that also displays a popup as though it is a dropdown, similar to Google search's main input field. That is more than a classic "dropdown".

The extra dropdown that appears, is it a select input or a text input like the first? I imagine that the other dropdown doesn't actually appear in the scenario you described, but rather the input field, that will show the dropdown if/when it is focused, is displayed. Is that about right?

Placing a button that allows the user to clear the text in the text input field (or textbox) is a pretty standard approach these days (e.g. Material Design). I.e. press the cross to clear the input field and remove the dropdown's items plus hide the dropdown (until new text is entered).

If that doesn't suit, perhaps add a clear suggestions button as the first item in the dropdown.

Or have a clear button next to each suggestion in the dropdown, though Users will have to put some effort in to clear the whole set.