Fix: Godot @export Enum Not Showing in Inspector

Here is how to fix Godot @export enum not showing in the Inspector. You define an enum in your script, add @export to the variable, and expect a dropdown in the Inspector. Instead you get a plain number input, or the variable does not appear at all. Godot 4 has two distinct export annotations for enums, and mixing them up produces the wrong widget or no widget.

The Symptom

An exported variable that should appear as a dropdown in the Inspector shows as a numeric input field, a text field, or does not appear at all. The enum values are not selectable. Changing the number manually works but there is no way to pick by name.

Variant: the dropdown appears but shows wrong or outdated values. Or the variable resets to 0 every time the scene reloads.

What Causes This

Using @export without enum typing. @export var state: int = 0 produces a number input. Godot does not know this int represents an enum. You need either a typed enum variable or the @export_enum annotation to get a dropdown.

Enum defined but variable not typed. Declaring enum MyEnum { IDLE, RUN, JUMP } and then writing @export var state = MyEnum.IDLE without the type hint may not produce a dropdown. Godot infers the type as int from the default value, losing the enum association.

Using Godot 3 export syntax. Godot 3 used export(int, "Idle", "Run", "Jump") var state = 0. This syntax does not work in Godot 4 and produces a parser error or is silently ignored.

Script not saved or scene not reloaded. The Inspector reads export metadata when the scene loads. If you add an @export annotation and do not save the script or reload the scene, the Inspector does not update. Clicking outside the script editor or pressing Ctrl+S forces the update.

The Fix

Method 1: Enum class with typed @export (recommended).

extends CharacterBody2D

enum State { IDLE, RUN, JUMP, FALL, ATTACK }

@export var current_state: State = State.IDLE

This produces a dropdown in the Inspector with the names IDLE, RUN, JUMP, FALL, ATTACK. The variable stores an int internally but displays as a named enum. This is the cleanest approach and works with match statements:

func _physics_process(delta):
    match current_state:
        State.IDLE:
            handle_idle(delta)
        State.RUN:
            handle_run(delta)
        State.JUMP:
            handle_jump(delta)

Method 2: @export_enum for inline enums. When you do not want to declare a separate enum class:

@export_enum("Fire", "Ice", "Lightning", "Earth") var element: int = 0

This creates a dropdown with the four options. The variable stores the index (0 = Fire, 1 = Ice, etc.). Useful for quick prototyping without a named enum class.

Method 3: @export_enum with String type. Store the selected name as a string instead of an index:

@export_enum("Easy", "Normal", "Hard", "Nightmare") var difficulty: String = "Normal"

The Inspector shows the same dropdown, but the variable holds "Normal" as a string. This is useful when you serialize data or compare values by name rather than index.

Common Mistakes

Missing type hint on the variable:

# Wrong: no type hint, Godot infers int, no dropdown
@export var state = State.IDLE

# Correct: explicit type hint
@export var state: State = State.IDLE

Enum declared in wrong scope:

# Wrong: enum inside a function (not visible to Inspector)
func _ready():
    enum Direction { UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT }

# Correct: enum at class level
enum Direction { UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT }
@export var dir: Direction = Direction.UP

Stale Inspector after script change: After adding or changing @export annotations, save the script (Ctrl+S). If the dropdown still does not appear, close and reopen the scene, or click the “Reload Current Scene” button.

Enums Across Scripts

If the enum is defined in a different script, use preload to reference it:

# game_enums.gd
class_name GameEnums

enum Element { FIRE, ICE, LIGHTNING, EARTH }

# weapon.gd
@export var element: GameEnums.Element = GameEnums.Element.FIRE

The class_name declaration makes the enum available globally. Without it, you would need preload("res://game_enums.gd").Element.

“Type the variable with the enum class. That single colon is the difference between a number field and a dropdown.”

Related Issues

For other Inspector export issues, see Exported NodePath Always Null. For GDScript typing patterns, Await Signal Never Completing covers related type system behavior.

Declare the enum at class level. Type the variable. @export var x: MyEnum. Dropdown appears.