UX Suggestion: Auto-select default name when creating new element

💬 Feature Requests
1

I know this is a small and maybe silly request, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who runs into it.

Whenever I create a new element in Retool, it gets a default name (like text1, button3, etc.), and the cursor is placed at the end of that name. That means I almost always do one of the following:

  1. Double-click the name to select it and change it.
  2. Press backspace/delete multiple times to remove it and type the name I actually want.

Wouldn’t it be a lot more efficient if the default name were auto-selected (as if it had already been double-clicked), so I could just start typing my chosen name right away?

It’s a small UX improvement, but it could make things smoother — especially when you're moving fast in the builder.

5 Likes
2

And it would definitely help those of us like me who are lazy when it comes to naming components. If the default name were auto selceted then I would definitely make the habit of renaming components. +1 to this idea.

1 Like
3

I documented a similar suggestion just the other day! Great minds think alike. I'll let you know as soon as there's been an update. :+1:

1 Like
4

The same should apply when double-clicking the name label — it makes much more sense for the entire existing name to be selected, rather than just placing the cursor at the end. This small UX tweak would make renaming much faster and more intuitive.

2 Likes