Autocomplete

Search through a long list of options.

Import

import { Autocomplete } from '@contentful/f36-components';
// or
import { Autocomplete } from '@contentful/f36-autocomplete';

Examples

Basic usage

The Autocomplete requires 3 props to work:

  • items: It’s an array containing the items that will be shown as selectable options when the user types something in the TextInput.
  • onInputValueChange: This function will be called every time the user types something in the input. The component will pass the item, which the filter method is currently iterating over, and the inputValue prop of the TextInput component.
  • onSelectItem: This function is called when the user selects one of the options of the list. The component will pass the selected item as an argument to the function.

An Autocomplete with a list of spaces will look like this:

Using objects as items

We showed how to create an Autocomplete with an array of string but it’s also possible to use other types of data as items. A very common way of using the Autocomplete is with objects and for that, with a few changes to the previous example this can be done:

Both itemToString and renderItem are necessary when passing objects as items and they both will receive an "item" as an argument.

If you are using Typescript, you can tell the Autocomplete what is the type of your items to make these functions strongly typed. You can do that by writing the component like this <Autocomplete<ItemType> {...props}/>

Highlighting an item with getStringMatch

A common use case for Autocomplete components is to highlight in each suggestion what is typed in the input. Using the previous example, if a user types "fi" we want to show a list of suggestions where only "fi" is bold. This is possible by using the renderItem prop and the getStringMatch utility function:

Selecting multiple items

It is also possible to use the Autocomplete as multiselect. To improve the user experience, you can keep the dropdown open after selection by setting the "closeAfterSelect" property to false.

Using grouped objects as items

As an extension of "Use objects as items" section, you are also able to use a nested object to group your entries. The most important part of making this work is the shape of the grouped object. The options themselves work exactly as in the object example and require the itemToString and renderItem functions. Besides the correct shape of the object the Autocomplete component needs to receive the prop isGrouped

Fully controlled selection from outside

In order to use proper form validation you need to be able to control the actual input field from the autocomplete, because the search query value is not the actual selection. This is done via the selectedItem property.

Error validation with FormControl

Fetching async data

Custom icon

Pass a custom icon to the text input, example: to indicate a search input

Props (API reference)

Open in Storybook

Name

Type

Default

items
required
T[]
GenericGroupType<T>[]

It’s an array of data to be used as "options" by the autocomplete component. This can either be a plain list of items or a list of groups of items.

onSelectItem
required
(item: T) => void

This is the function that will be called when the user selects one of the "options" in the list. The component will pass the selected "item" as an argument to the function..

className
string

CSS class to be appended to the root element

clearAfterSelect
false
true

If this is set to `true` the text input will be cleared after an item is selected

false
closeAfterSelect
false
true

If this is set to `false` the dropdown menu will stay open after selecting an item

true
defaultValue
string

Set's default value for text input

icon
ReactElement<any, string | JSXElementConstructor<any>>

Set a custom icon for the text input

id
string

Sets the id of the input

inputRef
(instance: HTMLInputElement) => void
RefObject<HTMLInputElement>

Use this prop to get a ref to the input element of the component

isDisabled
false
true

Applies disabled styles

false
isGrouped
false
true

Tells if the item is a object with groups

isInvalid
false
true

Applies invalid styles

false
isLoading
false
true

Sets the list to show its loading state

false
isReadOnly
false
true

Applies read-only styles

false
isRequired
false
true

Validate the input

false
itemToString
(item: T) => string

When using objects as `items`, we recommend passing a function that tells Downshift how to extract a string from those objetcs to be used as inputValue

listMaxHeight
number

It sets the max-height, in pixels, of the list The default value is the height of 5 single line items

180
listRef
(instance: HTMLUListElement) => void
RefObject<HTMLUListElement>

Use this prop to get a ref to the list of items of the component

listWidth
"auto"
"full"

It sets the width of the list

"auto"
noMatchesMessage
string

A message that will be shown when it is not possible to find any option that matches the input value

"No matches"
onInputValueChange
(value: string) => void

Function called whenever the input value changes

placeholder
string

This is the value will be passed to the `placeholder` prop of the input.

"Search"
renderItem
(item: T, inputValue: string) => ReactNode

This is the function that will be called for each "item" passed in the `items` prop. It receives the "item" and "inputValue" as arguments and returns a ReactNode. The inputValue is passed in case you want to highlight the match on the render.

selectedItem
T

Applying the selectedItem property turns autocomplete into a controlled component. Can be used to display e.g. previously selected element. If it is an object the itemToString function will apply to it.

showEmptyList
false
true

Defines if the list should be shown even if empty, when input is focused

false
testId
string

A [data-test-id] attribute used for testing purposes

toggleRef
(instance: HTMLButtonElement) => void
RefObject<HTMLButtonElement>

Use this prop to get a ref to the toggle button of the component

usePortal
false
true

Boolean to control whether or not to render the suggestions box in a React Portal. Rendering content inside a Portal allows the suggestions box to escape the bounds of its parent while still being positioned correctly. Defaults to `false`

Content guidelines

  • Autocomplete label should be short, contain 1 to 3 words
  • Label should be written in a sentence case (the first word capitalized, the rest lowercase)

Accessibility

  • dismisses the dropdown when selecting with the enter key