choosing-streamlit-selection-widgets skill

---
name: choosing-streamlit-selection-widgets
description: Choosing the right Streamlit selection widget. Use when deciding between radio buttons, selectbox, segmented control, pills, or other option selection widgets. Helps pick the right widget for the number of options and selection type.
license: Apache-2.0
---

# Streamlit selection widgets

The right selection widget for the job. Streamlit has evolved—many old patterns are now anti-patterns.

## When to use what

Use `st.segmented_control` or `st.pills` when you want all options visible at once. Use `st.selectbox` or `st.multiselect` when options should be hidden in a dropdown.

| Widget | Best For |
|--------|----------|
| `st.segmented_control` | 2-5 options, single select, all visible |
| `st.pills` | 2-5 options, multi-select, all visible |
| `st.selectbox` | Many options, single select, dropdown |
| `st.multiselect` | Many options, multi-select, dropdown |

## Segmented control (options visible, single select)

```python
# BAD
status = st.radio("Status", ["Draft", "Published"], horizontal=True)

# GOOD
status = st.segmented_control("Status", ["Draft", "Published"])
```

For vertical layouts, `st.radio(..., horizontal=False)` is still a great choice.

Cleaner, more modern look than horizontal radio buttons.

## Pills (options visible, multi-select)

```python
# Multi-select with few options
selected = st.pills(
    "Tags",
    ["Python", "SQL", "dbt", "Streamlit"],
    selection_mode="multi"
)
```

Can also be used to mimic an "example" widget, especially with `label_visibility="collapsed"`:
```python
st.pills("Examples", ["Show me sales data", "Top customers"], label_visibility="collapsed")
```

More visual and easier to use than `st.multiselect` for small option sets.

## Selectbox (many options, single select)

```python
country = st.selectbox(
    "Select a country",
    ["USA", "UK", "Canada", "Germany", "France", ...]
)
```

Dropdowns scale better than radio/pills for long lists.

## Multiselect (many options, multi-select)

```python
countries = st.multiselect(
    "Select countries",
    ["USA", "UK", "Canada", "Germany", "France", ...]
)
```

## Toggle vs checkbox

Use `st.toggle` for settings that trigger changes in the app. Reserve `st.checkbox` for forms.

```python
# GOOD: Toggle for app settings
dark_mode = st.toggle("Dark mode")
show_advanced = st.toggle("Show advanced options")

# GOOD: Checkbox in forms
with st.form("signup"):
    agree = st.checkbox("I agree to the terms")
    st.form_submit_button("Sign up")
```

## Forms with border=False

Remove the default form border for cleaner inline forms. Keep the border for longer forms where visual grouping helps.

```python
# Inline form without border
with st.form(key="add_item", border=False):
    with st.container(horizontal=True, vertical_alignment="bottom"):
        st.text_input("New item", label_visibility="collapsed", placeholder="Add item")
        st.form_submit_button("Add", icon=":material/add:")

# Longer form - keep the border for visual grouping
with st.form("signup"):
    st.text_input("Name")
    st.text_input("Email")
    st.selectbox("Role", ["Admin", "User"])
    st.form_submit_button("Submit")
```

## Custom options in selectbox and multiselect

Allow users to add their own options with `accept_new_options`:

```python
# Works with multiselect
tickers = st.multiselect(
    "Stock tickers",
    options=["AAPL", "MSFT", "GOOGL", "NVDA"],
    default=["AAPL"],
    accept_new_options=True,
    placeholder="Choose stocks or type your own"
)

# Also works with selectbox
country = st.selectbox(
    "Country",
    options=["USA", "UK", "Canada"],
    accept_new_options=True,
    placeholder="Select or type a country"
)
```

## References

- [st.segmented_control](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.segmented_control)
- [st.pills](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.pills)
- [st.selectbox](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.selectbox)
- [st.multiselect](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.multiselect)
- [st.toggle](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.toggle)
- [st.checkbox](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/widgets/st.checkbox)
- [st.form](https://docs.streamlit.io/develop/api-reference/execution-flow/st.form)