<h1>Customizing HTML Select Elements with CSS in Chrome 135 and Beyond</h1>
<p>With the introduction of Chrome 135, developers now have the ability to fully customize the native HTML <code>&lt;select&gt;</code> element using CSS, thanks to the new <code>appearance: base-select</code> property. This enhancement offers greater design flexibility, allowing you to align select elements with your design system without relying on additional JavaScript libraries.</p>
<h2>Key Features</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Rich HTML Content</strong>: You can include custom HTML inside <code>&lt;option&gt;</code> elements, which will be rendered as authored if the browser supports the new property.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Styling Flexibility</strong>: Numerous styling options are available, enabling you to have complete control over the look and feel of the <code>&lt;select&gt;</code> and <code>&lt;option&gt;</code> elements. This includes minimizing default styling to offer maximum customization.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Progressive Enhancement</strong>: The feature is designed to support progressive enhancement, meaning that you can opt-in easily and it will degrade gracefully in browsers that do not support the new styling property.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Safety Measures</strong>: Chrome has implemented a Finch experiment to disable the feature if needed, ensuring a smooth integration process. If successful, it will be fully integrated into the browser.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Developer Impact</h2>
<p>This new capability is a significant step forward in web development, providing a native way to achieve highly customizable and accessible <code>&lt;select&gt;</code> elements. By leveraging <code>appearance: base-select</code>, developers can create more engaging and visually appealing forms, enhancing user experience without sacrificing performance or accessibility.</p>
<p>Overall, Chrome 135 brings a robust, flexible method to style and customize select elements, marking an important milestone in the evolution of web design standards.</p>


Collections

With Chrome 135, developers can now fully customize native HTML `<select>` elements using the new `appearance: base-select` CSS property, enhancing design flexibility without additional JavaScript libraries. This update allows for rich HTML content within `<option>` elements, provides numerous styling options, supports progressive enhancement, and includes safety measures via a Finch experiment to ensure smooth integration.

Customize a Select Element with CSS