diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/actions.ts b/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/actions.ts
index 93976fc4dfe..4343760c455 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/actions.ts
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/actions.ts
@@ -17,20 +17,21 @@ import type { AnalyticsEventAction } from '../../../analytics/actions'
 import type { TerminalItemId, SubstepIdentifier } from '../../../steplist/types'
 import type {
   AddStepAction,
+  ClearWellSelectionLabwareKeyAction,
   HoverOnStepAction,
   HoverOnSubstepAction,
-  SelectTerminalItemAction,
   HoverOnTerminalItemAction,
-  SetWellSelectionLabwareKeyAction,
-  ClearWellSelectionLabwareKeyAction,
-  SelectStepAction,
+  hoverSelectionAction,
+  Mode,
+  selectDropdownItemAction,
+  Selection,
   SelectMultipleStepsAction,
   SelectMultipleStepsForGroupAction,
+  SelectStepAction,
+  SelectTerminalItemAction,
+  SetWellSelectionLabwareKeyAction,
   ToggleViewSubstepAction,
   ViewSubstep,
-  hoverSelectionAction,
-  selectDropdownItemAction,
-  Selection,
 } from './types'
 
 // adds an incremental integer ID for Step reducers.
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ export const hoverSelection = (args: Selection): hoverSelectionAction => ({
 })
 export const selectDropdownItem = (args: {
   selection: Selection | null
-  mode: 'add' | 'clear'
+  mode: Mode
 }): selectDropdownItemAction => ({
   type: 'SELECT_DROPDOWN_ITEM',
   payload: {
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/types.ts b/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/types.ts
index a25e056667f..52556930d1d 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/types.ts
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/ui/steps/actions/types.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export interface DuplicateMultipleStepsAction {
   }
 }
 
+export type Mode = 'clear' | 'add'
 export interface Selection {
   id: string | null
   text: string | null