Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind HTML Input Attributes?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Complete the missing token from the example code.
<label ___="fname">First name:</label><br>Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
This chapter describes the different attributes for the HTML <input> element.
The value Attribute
The input value attribute specifies an initial value for an input field:
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input type="text"
id="fname" name="fname" value="John"><br>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="lname" name="lname"
value="Doe">
</form>Live preview
The readonly Attribute
The input readonly attribute specifies that an input field is read-only.
A read-only input field cannot be modified (however, a user can tab to it, highlight it, and copy the text from it).
The value of a read-only input field will be sent when submitting the form!
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input type="text"
id="fname" name="fname" value="John" readonly><br>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="lname" name="lname"
value="Doe">
</form>Live preview
The disabled Attribute
The input disabled attribute specifies that an input field should be disabled.
A disabled input field is unusable and un-clickable.
The value of a disabled input field will not be sent when submitting the form!
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input type="text"
id="fname" name="fname" value="John" disabled><br>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="lname" name="lname"
value="Doe">
</form>Live preview
The size Attribute
The input size attribute specifies the visible width, in characters, of an input field.
The default value for size is 20.
Note
The size attribute works with the following input types: text, search, tel, url, email, and password.
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input
type="text" id="fname" name="fname" size="50"><br>
<label
for="pin">PIN:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="pin" name="pin"
size="4">
</form>Live preview
The maxlength Attribute
The input maxlength attribute specifies the maximum number of characters allowed in an input field.
Note
When a maxlength is set, the input field will not accept more than the specified number of characters. However, this attribute does not provide any feedback. So, if you want to alert the user, you must write JavaScript code.
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input
type="text" id="fname" name="fname" size="50"><br>
<label
for="pin">PIN:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="pin" name="pin"
maxlength="4" size="4">
</form>Live preview
The min and max Attributes
The input min and max attributes specify the minimum and maximum values for an input field.
The min and max attributes work with the following input types: number, range, date, datetime-local, month, time and week.
Tip
Use the max and min attributes together to create a range of legal values.
Example
<form>
<label for="datemax">Enter a date before
1980-01-01:</label>
<input type="date" id="datemax" name="datemax"
max="1979-12-31"><br><br>
<label for="datemin">Enter a date
after 2000-01-01:</label>
<input type="date" id="datemin" name="datemin"
min="2000-01-02"><br><br>
<label for="quantity">Quantity
(between 1 and 5):</label>
<input type="number" id="quantity"
name="quantity" min="1" max="5">
</form>Live preview
The multiple Attribute
The input multiple attribute specifies that the user is allowed to enter more than one value in an input field.
The multiple attribute works with the following input types: email, and file.
Example
<form>
<label for="files">Select files:</label>
<input
type="file" id="files" name="files" multiple>
</form>Live preview
The pattern Attribute
The input pattern attribute specifies a regular expression that the input field's value is checked against, when the form is submitted.
The pattern attribute works with the following input types: text, date, search, url, tel, email, and password.
Tip
Use the global title attribute to describe the pattern to help the user.
Tip
Learn more about regular expressions in our JavaScript tutorial.
Example
<form>
<label for="country_code">Country code:</label>
<input type="text" id="country_code" name="country_code"
pattern="[A-Za-z]{3}" title="Three letter country code">
</form>Live preview
The placeholder Attribute
The input placeholder attribute specifies a short hint that describes the expected value of an input field (a sample value or a short description of the expected format).
The short hint is displayed in the input field before the user enters a value.
The placeholder attribute works with the following input types: text, search, url, number, tel, email, and password.
Example
<form>
<label for="phone">Enter a phone number:</label>
<input type="tel" id="phone" name="phone"
placeholder="123-45-678"
pattern="[0-9]{3}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{3}">
</form>Live preview
The required Attribute
The input required attribute specifies that an input field must be filled out before submitting the form.
The required attribute works with the following input types: text, search, url, tel, email, password, date pickers, number, checkbox, radio, and file.
Example
<form>
<label for="username">Username:</label>
<input
type="text" id="username" name="username" required>
</form>Live preview
The step Attribute
The input step attribute specifies the legal number intervals for an input field.
Example: if step="3", legal numbers could be -3, 0, 3, 6, etc.
Tip
This attribute can be used together with the max and min attributes to create a range of legal values.
The step attribute works with the following input types: number, range, date, datetime-local, month, time and week.
Example
<form>
<label for="points">Points:</label>
<input
type="number" id="points" name="points" step="3">
</form>Live preview
Note
Input restrictions are not foolproof, and JavaScript provides many ways to add illegal input. To safely restrict input, it must also be checked by the receiver (the server)!
The autofocus Attribute
The input autofocus attribute specifies that an input field should automatically get focus when the page loads.
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
<input
type="text" id="fname" name="fname" autofocus><br>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label><br>
<input type="text" id="lname" name="lname">
</form>Live preview
The height and width Attributes
The input height and width attributes specify the height and width of an <input type="image"> element.
Tip
Always specify both the height and width attributes for images. If height and width are set, the space required for the image is reserved when the page is loaded. Without these attributes, the browser does not know the size of the image, and cannot reserve the appropriate space to it. The effect will be that the page layout will change during loading (while the images load).
Example
<form>
<label for="fname">First name:</label>
<input
type="text" id="fname" name="fname"><br><br>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label>
<input type="text" id="lname" name="lname"><br><br>
<input type="image" src="img_submit.gif" alt="Submit" width="48" height="48">
</form>Live preview
The list Attribute
The input list attribute refers to a <datalist> element that contains pre-defined options for an <input> element.
Example
<form>
<input list="browsers">
<datalist id="browsers">
<option value="Edge">
<option value="Firefox">
<option value="Chrome">
<option value="Opera">
<option value="Safari">
</datalist>
</form>Live preview
The autocomplete Attribute
The input autocomplete attribute specifies whether a form or an input field should have autocomplete on or off.
Autocomplete allows the browser to predict the value. When a user starts to type in a field, the browser should display options to fill in the field, based on earlier typed values.
The autocomplete attribute works with <form> and the following <input> types: text, search, url, tel, email, password, datepickers, range, and color.
Example
<form action="/action_page.php" autocomplete="on">
<label for="fname">First
name:</label>
<input type="text" id="fname" name="fname"><br><br>
<label for="lname">Last name:</label>
<input type="text" id="lname"
name="lname"><br><br>
<label for="email">Email:</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email" autocomplete="off"><br><br>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>Live preview
Tip
In some browsers you may need to activate an autocomplete function for this to work (Look under "Preferences" in the browser's menu).
HTML Form and Input Elements
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| <form> | Defines an HTML form for user input |
| <input> | Defines an input control |
For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference .