diff --git a/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py b/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py
index c4d40f9e178..5e68afab7fb 100644
--- a/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py
+++ b/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py
@@ -1735,12 +1735,15 @@ class SubplotidValidator(BaseValidator):
             "dflt"
         ],
         "otherOpts": [
+            "arrayOk",
             "regex"
         ]
     }
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, plotly_name, parent_name, dflt=None, regex=None, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(
+        self, plotly_name, parent_name, dflt=None, regex=None, array_ok=False, **kwargs
+    ):
         if dflt is None and regex is None:
             raise ValueError("One or both of regex and deflt must be specified")
 
@@ -1755,40 +1758,55 @@ def __init__(self, plotly_name, parent_name, dflt=None, regex=None, **kwargs):
             self.base = re.match(r"/\^(\w+)", regex).group(1)
 
         self.regex = self.base + r"(\d*)"
+        self.array_ok = array_ok
 
     def description(self):
         desc = """\
     The '{plotly_name}' property is an identifier of a particular
-    subplot, of type '{base}', that may be specified as the string '{base}'
-    optionally followed by an integer >= 1
-    (e.g. '{base}', '{base}1', '{base}2', '{base}3', etc.)
-        """.format(plotly_name=self.plotly_name, base=self.base)
+    subplot, of type '{base}', that may be specified as:
+      - the string '{base}' optionally followed by an integer >= 1
+        (e.g. '{base}', '{base}1', '{base}2', '{base}3', etc.)""".format(
+            plotly_name=self.plotly_name, base=self.base
+        )
+        if self.array_ok:
+            desc += """
+      - A tuple or list of the above"""
         return desc
 
     def validate_coerce(self, v):
-        if v is None:
-            pass
-        elif not isinstance(v, str):
-            self.raise_invalid_val(v)
-        else:
-            # match = re.fullmatch(self.regex, v)
-            match = fullmatch(self.regex, v)
+        def coerce(value):
+            if not isinstance(value, str):
+                return value, False
+            match = fullmatch(self.regex, value)
             if not match:
-                is_valid = False
+                return value, False
             else:
                 digit_str = match.group(1)
                 if len(digit_str) > 0 and int(digit_str) == 0:
-                    is_valid = False
+                    return value, False
                 elif len(digit_str) > 0 and int(digit_str) == 1:
-                    # Remove 1 suffix (e.g. x1 -> x)
-                    v = self.base
-                    is_valid = True
+                    return self.base, True
                 else:
-                    is_valid = True
+                    return value, True
 
-            if not is_valid:
-                self.raise_invalid_val(v)
-        return v
+        if v is None:
+            pass
+        elif self.array_ok and is_simple_array(v):
+            values = []
+            invalid_els = []
+            for e in v:
+                coerced_e, success = coerce(e)
+                values.append(coerced_e)
+                if not success:
+                    invalid_els.append(coerced_e)
+            if len(invalid_els) > 0:
+                self.raise_invalid_elements(invalid_els[:10])
+            return values
+        else:
+            v, success = coerce(v)
+            if not success:
+                self.raise_invalid_val(self.base)
+            return v
 
 
 class FlaglistValidator(BaseValidator):
diff --git a/tests/test_plotly_utils/validators/test_subplotid_validator.py b/tests/test_plotly_utils/validators/test_subplotid_validator.py
index 85ff0573e08..09e57c0ee99 100644
--- a/tests/test_plotly_utils/validators/test_subplotid_validator.py
+++ b/tests/test_plotly_utils/validators/test_subplotid_validator.py
@@ -11,15 +11,29 @@ def validator():
     return SubplotidValidator("prop", "parent", dflt="geo")
 
 
+@pytest.fixture()
+def validator_aok():
+    return SubplotidValidator("prop", "parent", dflt="legend", array_ok=True)
+
+
 # Tests
 
+# Array not ok (default)
 
 # Acceptance
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("val", ["geo"] + ["geo%d" % i for i in range(2, 10)])
 def test_acceptance(val, validator):
     assert validator.validate_coerce(val) == val
 
 
+# Coercion from {base}1 to {base}
+def test_coerce(validator):
+    v = validator.validate_coerce("geo1")
+    assert ("geo") == v
+
+
 # Rejection by type
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("val", [23, [], {}, set(), np_inf(), np_nan()])
 def test_rejection_type(val, validator):
@@ -43,3 +57,55 @@ def test_rejection_value(val, validator):
         validator.validate_coerce(val)
 
     assert "Invalid value" in str(validation_failure.value)
+
+
+# Array ok
+
+# Acceptance
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "val",
+    ["legend2", ["legend", "legend2"], ["legend", "legend2"]],
+)
+def test_acceptance_aok(val, validator_aok):
+    v = validator_aok.validate_coerce(val)
+    if isinstance(val, tuple):
+        assert val == tuple(v)
+    else:
+        assert val == v
+
+
+# Coercion from {base}1 to {base}
+def test_coerce_aok(validator_aok):
+    v = validator_aok.validate_coerce(("legend1", "legend2"))
+    assert ("legend", "legend2") == tuple(v)
+
+
+# Rejection by type
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("val", [23, [2, 3], {}, set(), np_inf(), np_nan()])
+def test_rejection_type_aok(val, validator_aok):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as validation_failure:
+        validator_aok.validate_coerce(val)
+
+    failure_msg = str(validation_failure.value)
+    assert "Invalid value" in failure_msg or "Invalid elements" in failure_msg
+
+
+# Rejection by value
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "val",
+    [
+        "",  # Cannot be empty
+        "bogus",  # Must begin with 'geo'
+        "legend0",  # If followed by a number the number must be > 1,
+        ["", "legend"],
+        ("bogus", "legend2"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_rejection_value_aok(val, validator_aok):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as validation_failure:
+        validator_aok.validate_coerce(val)
+
+    failure_msg = str(validation_failure.value)
+    assert "Invalid value" in failure_msg or "Invalid elements" in failure_msg