I want to create a dynamic dropdown in an n8n Form that displays a list of values stored in an n8n Data Table.
The dropdown should update automatically if the Data Table is updated.
Constraints / Notes:
The Form Trigger is the first node in the workflow, so I cannot use $items() or other nodes downstream to populate the dropdown directly.
The dropdown must display each value on a separate line with proper label/value pairs.
Ideally, the solution should be fully dynamic and not require manual updates when the Data Table changes.
What is the error message (if any)?
Please share your workflow
Share the output returned by the last node
Information on your n8n setup
n8n version: 2.9.4
Database (default: SQLite): POSTGRESDB
Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): Google Cloud Run
Hi @Abdel-Aal_Shams_IFCV
Welcome to the community !
It’s not possible to dynamically populate the dropdown using only a Data Table after the Form Trigger in the same workflow. You need to use an auxiliary workflow or intermediate endpoint.
Yeah the Form Trigger can’t reference other nodes since it’s the entry point of the workflow, there’s no execution context yet. What you want to do is split it into two pages — keep Nom/Prénom on the Form Trigger as page 1, then fetch your Data Table records, and use a second Form node for the dropdown on page 2. That Form node can use expressions since it has upstream data at that point. There’s actually an official template for this exact pattern: Form with dynamic dropdown field | n8n workflow template
Thanks a lot for the clarification and for pointing out the template ! That makes perfect sense, I’ll try splitting the form into two pages as you suggested. Appreciate your help!
!