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Automate Desktop Dropdown & ComboBox Selection (Smart Select) in RunMacro

Applies to: RunMacro 3.x • Updated September 2026

Smart Select Dropdown automates selecting items in desktop ComboBoxes via Windows UI Automation using exact text or dynamic variables.

Prerequisites#

Target desktop application displays the target ComboBox or dropdown list.

Supported modes#

Desktop Mode — Selects items via UIA SelectionItemPattern and ExpandCollapsePattern.

What it does#

The Smart Select Dropdown command selects target items in desktop ComboBoxes, DropdownLists, or ListBoxes using UIA ExpandCollapsePattern and SelectionItemPattern.Select(). You simply provide the target item text or a dynamic variable {item_name}, and RunMacro locates and activates the item directly without requiring manual mouse hover, clicking open, or manual scrolling.

Screenshots & video#

RunMacro Smart Select Dropdown command configuration dialog showing parameter fields — Configuration dialog and parameter fields for the Smart Select Dropdown command in RunMacro.

When to use it#

Selecting provinces, cities, or bank branch locations from long dropdown lists containing hundreds of items.
Selecting currencies, payment methods, or shipping terms in retail POS and ERP applications.
Switching report views, filter categories, or fiscal years in desktop accounting software.
Batch processing customer records where each entry requires a distinct dropdown item extracted from an Excel file.

When not to use it#

HTML <select> elements in web browsers (use Smart HTML).
Right-click context menus (use Smart Click with Right Click strategy).

Configuration steps#

In RunMacro, open the Mouse › Smart Select Dropdown command.
Click 🎯 Pick Element and click the target ComboBox on your desktop application.
In Item Text, type the target label (e.g. New York) or a dynamic variable {city}.
Select Match Mode: exact or contains.
Set the Timeout (ms) for item search (default 2000ms).
Click Save to insert the command into your workflow.

Every option explained#

`🎯 Pick Element`#

Interactive target picker overlay to capture the ComboBox control UIA identification properties.

`Item Text`#

String label of the item to select inside the dropdown list (supports variables such as {branch_name}).

`Match Mode`#

Matching strategy: exact (case-insensitive full match) or contains (substring match).

`Timeout (ms)`#

Maximum time to wait for the dropdown to open and resolve the target item (default 2000ms).

Expected result#

The specified item is selected and the ComboBox displays the updated value.

Real example#

Example: Select bank branch driven by Excel data variable#

Use Get Data Row to load the branch name into variable {branch}.
Add a Smart Select Dropdown command.
Pick the 'Branch' ComboBox inside the banking software.
Set Item Text to {branch} and match mode to contains.
Execute — the dropdown automatically selects the exact branch without manual menu hovering.

Limitations and failure cases#

Custom OwnerDraw controls lacking UIA list children may require arrow keystroke navigation.

Tips & common mistakes#

When item names include prefixes or trailing codes, contains mode ensures reliable selection.

If the dropdown is an autocomplete search input, consider combining with Smart Desktop Type.

Verification details#

commands/smart_desktop_select.py · verified 2026-09-30

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