HTML Input Types

This chapter describes the different input types for the <input> element.

Input Type Text

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

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:

Input Type Submit

<input type="submit"> defines a button for submitting form data 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 Reset

<input type="reset"> defines a reset button that will reset all form values to their default values:

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

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

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 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 also use the min and max attributes to add restrictions to dates:

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 Datetime-local

The <input type="datetime-local"> specifies a date and time input field, with 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 File

The <input type="file"> defines a file-select field and a "Browse" button for file uploads.

Example

<form>
  Select a file: <input type="file" name="myFile">
</form>

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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 Number

The <input type="number"> defines a numeric input field.

You can also set restrictions on what numbers are accepted.

The following example displays a numeric input field, where you can enter a value from 1 to 5:

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.

The following example displays a numeric input field, where you can enter a value from 0 to 100, in steps of 10. The default value is 30:

Example

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

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Input Type Range

The <input type="range"> defines a control for entering a number whose exact value is not important (like a slider control). Default range is 0 to 100. However, you can set restrictions on what numbers are accepted with the min, max, and step attributes:

Example

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

Note: The tel type is currently only supported in Safari 8.

Example

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

Try it Yourself »

Test Yourself with Exercises!

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

HTML Input Type Attribute