HTML Input form* Attributes
This chapter describes the different form* attributes for the HTML <input> element.
The form Attribute
The input form attribute specifies the form
the <input> element belongs to.
The value of this attribute must be equal to the id attribute of the <form> element it belongs to.
Example
An input field located outside of the HTML form (but still a part of the form):
<form action="/action_page.php" id="form1">
<label for="fname">First
name:</label>
<input type="text" id="fname" name="fname"><br><br>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
<label for="lname">Last
name:</label>
<input type="text" id="lname"
name="lname" form="form1">
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The formaction Attribute
The input formaction attribute specifies the URL of
the file that will process the input when the form is submitted.
Note: This attribute overrides the
action attribute of the <form> element.
The formaction attribute works with the
following input types: submit and image.
Example
An HTML form with two submit buttons, with different actions:
<form action="/action_page.php">
<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="submit" value="Submit">
<input type="submit" formaction="/action_page2.php" value="Submit as Admin">
</form>
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The formenctype Attribute
The input formenctype attribute specifies how the form-data should be encoded when submitted (only for forms with method="post").
Note: This attribute overrides the enctype attribute of the <form> element.
The formenctype attribute works with the
following input types: submit and image.
Example
A form with two submit buttons. The first sends the form-data with default encoding, the second sends the form-data encoded as "multipart/form-data":
<form action="/action_page_binary.asp" method="post">
<label for="fname">First
name:</label>
<input type="text" id="fname" name="fname"><br><br>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
<input type="submit"
formenctype="multipart/form-data"
value="Submit as
Multipart/form-data">
</form>
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The formmethod Attribute
The input formmethod attribute defines the HTTP method for sending form-data to the action URL.
Note: This attribute overrides the method attribute of the <form> element.
The formmethod attribute works with the
following input types: submit and image.
The form-data can be sent as URL variables (method="get") or as an HTTP post transaction (method="post").
Notes on the "get" method:
- This method appends the form-data to the URL in name/value pairs
- This method is useful for form submissions where a user want to bookmark the result
- There is a limit to how much data you can place in a URL (varies between browsers), therefore, you cannot be sure that all of the form-data will be correctly transferred
- Never use the "get" method to pass sensitive information! (password or other sensitive information will be visible in the browser's address bar)
Notes on the "post" method:
- This method sends the form-data as an HTTP post transaction
- Form submissions with the "post" method cannot be bookmarked
- The "post" method is more robust and secure than "get", and "post" does not have size limitations
Example
A form with two submit buttons. The first sends the form-data with method="get". The second sends the form-data with method="post":
<form action="/action_page.php" method="get">
<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="submit" value="Submit using
GET">
<input type="submit" formmethod="post" value="Submit using
POST">
</form>
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The formtarget Attribute
The input formtarget attribute specifies a name or a keyword that indicates where
to display the response that is received after submitting the form.
Note: This attribute overrides the target attribute of the <form> element.
The formtarget attribute works with the
following input types: submit and image.
Example
A form with two submit buttons, with different target windows:
<form action="/action_page.php">
<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="submit" value="Submit">
<input type="submit" formtarget="_blank" value="Submit to a new window/tab">
</form>
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The formnovalidate Attribute
The input formnovalidate attribute specifies
that an <input> element should not be validated when submitted.
Note: This attribute overrides the novalidate attribute of the <form>
element.
The formnovalidate attribute works with the
following input types: submit.
Example
A form with two submit buttons (with and without validation):
<form action="/action_page.php">
<label for="email">Enter your
email:</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email"><br><br>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
<input type="submit"
formnovalidate="formnovalidate"
value="Submit without validation">
</form>
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The novalidate Attribute
The novalidate attribute is a <form> attribute.
When present, novalidate specifies that all of the form-data should not be validated when submitted.
Example
Specify that no form-data should be validated on submit:
<form action="/action_page.php" novalidate>
<label
for="email">Enter your email:</label>
<input type="email"
id="email" name="email"><br><br>
<input type="submit"
value="Submit">
</form>
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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.
