optgroup

Groups related options within a select element under a visible label. Helps users scan long option lists organized into logical categories.

When to Use

Organizing options into logical categories (countries by continent, products by type)
Long select lists with distinct groupings
Making it easier to scan and locate options in a large list

The shared select demo below includes an optgroup example showing countries grouped by region.

The required label attribute provides the group heading displayed in bold above the options.

Attribute	Purpose	Required
`label`	The group heading text displayed above the options	Yes
`disabled`	Disables all options in the group	No

Disabling an optgroup makes every option within it unselectable. This is useful for showing choices that exist but are not currently available.

No nesting: You cannot nest an optgroup inside another optgroup. HTML does not support it
Limited styling: Browser and OS rendering controls most of the appearance. VB sets font-weight: 600 on the group label but cannot change backgrounds, colors, or add icons
Options only: An optgroup can only contain option elements
Label is required: The label attribute must be provided; there is no fallback text
Not in datalist: Optgroups are not supported inside datalist

For fully custom grouped dropdowns with arbitrary styling, consider the combo-box web component.

Screen reader support: Groups are announced as categories, helping users understand the structure
Keyboard navigation: Arrow keys move through all options across groups; groups act as visual separators
Meaningful labels: The label attribute should clearly describe what the group contains
Disabled groups: All options within a disabled group are announced as unavailable