HTML Input Types

Input Types

This chapter describes the input types of the <input> element.

Input Type: text

<input type="text"> defines a one-line input field for text input:

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

Input Type: password

<input type="password"> defines a password field:

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

	The characters in a password field are masked (shown as asterisks or circles).

Input Type: submit

<input type="submit"> defines a button for submitting form input to a form-handler.

The form-handler is typically a server page with a script for processing input data.

The form-handler is specified in the form's action attribute:

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

If you omit the submit button's value attribute, the button will get a default text:

Input Type: radio

<input type="radio"> defines a radio button.

Radio buttons let a user select ONLY ONE of a limited number of choices:

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

Input Type: checkbox

<input type="checkbox"> defines a checkbox.

Checkboxes let a user select ZERO or MORE options of a limited number of choices.

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

Input Type: button

<input type="button"> defines a button:

This is how the HTML code above will be displayed in a browser:

HTML5 Input Types

HTML5 added several new input types:

• color
• date
• datetime
• datetime-local
• email
• month
• number
• range
• search
• tel
• time
• url
• week

	Input types, not supported by old web browsers, will behave as input type text.

Input Type: number

The <input type="number"> is used for input fields that should contain a numeric value.

You can set restrictions on the numbers.

Depending on browser support, the restrictions can apply to the input field.

Example

<form>
  Quantity (between 1 and 5):
  <input type="number" name="quantity" min="1" max="5">
</form>

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Input Restrictions

Here is a list of some common input restrictions (some are new in HTML5):

You will learn more about input restrictions in the next chapter.

Example

<form>
  Quantity:
  <input type="number" name="points" min="0" max="100" step="10" value="30">
</form>

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Input Type: date

The <input type="date"> is used for input fields that should contain a date.

Depending on browser support, a date picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Birthday:
  <input type="date" name="bday">
</form>

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You can add restrictions to the input:

Example

<form>
  Enter a date before 1980-01-01:
  <input type="date" name="bday" max="1979-12-31"><br>
  Enter a date after 2000-01-01:
  <input type="date" name="bday" min="2000-01-02"><br>
</form>

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Input Type: color

The <input type="color"> is used for input fields that should contain a color.

Depending on browser support, a color picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Select your favorite color:
  <input type="color" name="favcolor">
</form>

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Input Type: range

The <input type="range"> is used for input fields that should contain a value within a range.

Depending on browser support, the input field can be displayed as a slider control.

Example

<form>
  <input type="range" name="points" min="0" max="10">
</form>

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You can use the following attributes to specify restrictions: min, max, step, value.

Input Type: month

The <input type="month"> allows the user to select a month and year.

Depending on browser support, a date picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Birthday (month and year):
  <input type="month" name="bdaymonth">
</form>

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Input Type: week

The <input type="week"> allows the user to select a week and year.

Depending on browser support, a date picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Select a week:
  <input type="week" name="week_year">
</form>

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Input Type: time

The <input type="time"> allows the user to select a time (no time zone).

Depending on browser support, a time picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Select a time:
  <input type="time" name="usr_time">
</form>

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Input Type: datetime

The <input type="datetime"> allows the user to select a date and time (with time zone).

Example

<form>
  Birthday (date and time):
  <input type="datetime" name="bdaytime">
</form>

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	The input type datetime is removed from the HTML standard. Use datetime-local instead.

Input Type: datetime-local

The <input type="datetime-local"> allows the user to select a date and time (no time zone).

Depending on browser support, a date picker can show up in the input field.

Example

<form>
  Birthday (date and time):
  <input type="datetime-local" name="bdaytime">
</form>

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Input Type: email

The <input type="email"> is used for input fields that should contain an e-mail address.

Depending on browser support, the e-mail address can be automatically validated when submitted.

Some smartphones recognize the email type, and adds ".com" to the keyboard to match email input.

Example

<form>
  E-mail:
  <input type="email" name="email">
</form>

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Input Type: search

The <input type="search"> is used for search fields (a search field behaves like a regular text field).

Example

<form>
  Search Google:
  <input type="search" name="googlesearch">
</form>

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Input Type: tel

The <input type="tel"> is used for input fields that should contain a telephone number.

The tel type is currently supported only in Safari 8.

Example

<form>
  Telephone:
  <input type="tel" name="usrtel">
</form>

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Input Type: url

The <input type="url"> is used for input fields that should contain a URL address.

Depending on browser support, the url field can be automatically validated when submitted.

Some smartphones recognize the url type, and adds ".com" to the keyboard to match url input.

Example

<form>
  Add your homepage:
  <input type="url" name="homepage">
</form>

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Test Yourself with Exercises!

Exercise 1 »    Exercise 2 »    Exercise 3 »    Exercise 4 »    Exercise 5 »