Creating a custom <select> dropdown with CSS

Updated on 9 December 2024, this comprehensive tutorial delves into customizing the native `<select>` element using pure CSS to enhance its appearance while maintaining functionality and accessibility. It clarifies distinctions between select dropdowns, dropdown menus, and CSS selectors, and guides readers through building a fully custom and accessible `<select>` dropdown with JavaScript for added interactivity. The tutorial covers challenges such as cross-browser compatibility, styling limitations due to the Shadow DOM, and enhances accessibility with ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, and focus management. By offering two approaches—one using CSS for basic styling and another using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for a fully custom dropdown—it provides solutions for developers seeking either minimal or extensive customization of dropdowns in web development.