# Dropdown node - what am I missing
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935
**Category:** General
**Tags:** node-red-dashboard
**Created:** [12 March 2025 03:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935 "2025-03-12T03:36:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@itolond](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/itolond)
#### Post date: [12 March 2025 03:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/1 "2025-03-12T03:36:54Z")
[Newbie] Following a video guide on how to set up a dropdown in Node-Red seemed very straightforward, as I am using a static list in the dropdown. Using "MSG.Dropdown"
However, I see the MSG output via the debug but with 'undefined'. When I change to "payload", it works fine - I assume I need to define the MSG."XXXX"
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [12 March 2025 08:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/2 "2025-03-12T08:47:34Z")
Can you post a very simple example that shows the problem please. Construct a flow just consisting of, for example, inject nodes and a dropdown node and export it and paste it here. Then we can see exactly what you are doing.
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### Author:  [@itolond](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/itolond)
#### Post date: [12 March 2025 09:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/4 "2025-03-12T09:30:41Z")
Error - (Debug)
[node: dropbox](http://192.168.0.2:1880/#)msg.StatusIndicator : undefined
undefined
---
### Author:  [@itolond](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/itolond)
#### Post date: [12 March 2025 09:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/5 "2025-03-12T09:32:34Z")
```auto
[
{
"id": "ca2d49bace6edc8d",
"type": "ui_dropdown",
"z": "0ca665b062017a5c",
"name": "Dropdown",
"label": "status drop down example",
"tooltip": "",
"place": "Select option",
"group": "585234b827bfcc73",
"order": 11,
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"passthru": false,
"multiple": false,
"options": [
{
"label": "Identify",
"value": "StatusIndicatorIdentify",
"type": "str"
},
{
"label": "Strobe",
"value": "StatusIndicatorStrobe",
"type": "str"
},
{
"label": "RedFlash",
"value": "StatusIndicatorRedFlash",
"type": "str"
},
{
"label": "WhiteFlash",
"value": "StatusIndicatorWhiteFlash",
"type": "str"
}
],
"payload": "",
"topic": "StatusIndicator",
"topicType": "msg",
"className": "",
"x": 106,
"y": 248,
"wires": [
[
"56c4f8b31bdc16d7"
]
]
},
{
"id": "585234b827bfcc73",
"type": "ui_group",
"name": "TESTENV",
"tab": "1fe70ca413e94732",
"order": 1,
"disp": true,
"width": 6,
"collapse": false,
"className": ""
},
{
"id": "1fe70ca413e94732",
"type": "ui_tab",
"name": "TEST",
"icon": "dashboard",
"disabled": false,
"hidden": false
}
]
```
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [12 March 2025 09:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/6 "2025-03-12T09:48:34Z")
> [@itolond](#):
>
> MSG.Dropdown"
>
> However, I see the MSG output via the debug but with 'undefined'. When I change to "payload", it works fine - I assume I need to define the MSG."XXX
There is no msg.dropdown in node-red-dashboard dropdown.
The output of the dropdown is always in msg.payload.
---
### Author:  [@itolond](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/itolond)
#### Post date: [13 March 2025 00:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/7 "2025-03-13T00:15:16Z")
really - must ter msg always be "payload" regardless?
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [13 March 2025 06:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/8 "2025-03-13T06:56:12Z")
The output is mg.payload, you can move the output to any property you like after the dropdown node.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [27 March 2025 06:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dropdown-node-what-am-i-missing/95935/9 "2025-03-27T06:56:46Z")
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