# Dropdown [component-header:sl-dropdown] Dropdowns expose additional content that "drops down" in a panel. Dropdowns consist of a trigger and a panel. By default, activating the trigger will expose the panel and interacting outside of the panel will close it. Dropdowns are designed to work well with [menus](/components/menu.md) to provide a list of options the user can select from. However, dropdowns can also be used in lower-level applications (e.g. [color picker](/components/color-picker.md) and [select](/components/select.md)). The API gives you complete control over showing, hiding, and positioning the panel. ```html preview

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``` ## Examples ### Placement The preferred placement of the dropdown can be set with the `placement` attribute. Note that the actual position may vary to ensure the panel remains in the viewport. ```html preview

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``` ### Distance The distance from the panel to the trigger can be customized using the `distance` attribute. This value is specified in pixels. ```html preview

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``` ### Skidding The offset of the panel along the trigger can be customized using the `skidding` attribute. This value is specified in pixels. ```html preview

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``` ### Hoisting Dropdown panels will be clipped if they're inside a container that has `overflow: auto|hidden`. The `hoist` attribute forces the panel to use a fixed positioning strategy, allowing it to break out of the container. In this case, the panel will be positioned relative to its containing block, which is usually the viewport unless an ancestor uses a `transform`, `perspective`, or `filter`. [Refer to this page](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/position#fixed) for more details. ```html preview ``` [component-metadata:sl-dropdown]