HTML · FORM CONTROL

HTML input type="text": Single-Line Text Fields

Last reviewed November 3, 2026

The <input type="text"> control collects a single line of text. Text is the default input type: if type is missing or unknown, the browser falls back to text.

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Attributes & common mistakes

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What gets submitted

Fill in the form above and press its button. The demo stops the request and lists every name=value pair the browser would send, plus the controls it leaves out.

With a free access key in the form, these fields land in your splitforms dashboard; access_key and botcheck are read by splitforms, not stored as lead data.

Edit the HTML and re-run it

Example HTML (changes re-run the live demo)

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Minimal snippet

input-type-text-example.html

<label for="full-name">Full name</label>
<input type="text" id="full-name" name="full_name" autocomplete="name" required>

Copy-paste code

<input type="text"> code you can paste today.

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY with a key from your free splitforms dashboard. The form posts to one endpoint — submissions land in your inbox and dashboard with spam filtering built in.

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input-type-text.html

<form action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit" method="POST">
  <input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">

  <label for="name">Name</label>
  <input type="text" id="name" name="name" autocomplete="name" maxlength="100" required>

  <label for="email">Email</label>
  <input type="email" id="email" name="email" autocomplete="email" required>

  <label for="subject">Subject</label>
  <input type="text" id="subject" name="subject" placeholder="How can we help?" maxlength="120">

  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" rows="5" required></textarea>
  <button type="submit">Send message</button>
</form>

Reference

Which attributes work with input type=text?

Use these attributes to name the field, guide input and apply browser validation. Validate submitted values on the server too.

Which attributes work with input type=text?
Attribute	What it does
name	The key sent with the field's value; an unnamed input is omitted.
value	Sets the initial text; the current value is submitted.
placeholder	Shows a short hint when empty; it does not replace a label.
required	Requires a nonempty value for browser validation.
maxlength	Limits input length in UTF-16 code units.
minlength	Sets the minimum length for a nonempty value in UTF-16 code units.
pattern	A regular expression the entire nonempty value must match.
size	A suggested visible width in characters, not a length limit.
readonly	Prevents editing while still allowing the named value to be submitted.
disabled	Disables the control and excludes it from submission.
autocomplete	Hints at the data to fill, with tokens such as `name`, `given-name`, `family-name` or `organization`.
inputmode	Hints at a virtual keyboard, such as `text` or `numeric`; it does not validate.
spellcheck	Hints whether the browser should check spelling: `true` or `false`.
list	References the id of a datalist offering suggestions.

Sources: MDN: text input

Input types

When should you choose another input type?

Choose the type that matches the data so browsers can offer the appropriate keyboard or validation.

When should you choose another input type?
Type	Use it for
email	Email addresses, with built-in format validation.
tel	Telephone numbers, often with a phone-friendly keyboard.
url	URLs, with built-in URL validation.
search	Search queries, with browser-specific search controls.
number	Numbers where a numeric value and step controls make sense, not identifiers such as postal codes.

Sources: WHATWG HTML Standard: input types

Attributes · <input type="text">

How are text input values named?

A name identifies the submitted value.

<input type="text"> attributes and what each one does
Attribute	What it does	Docs
`name`	The form data key; see [name](/html/name-attribute).	MDN
`value`	The initial value of the field; see [value](/html/value-attribute).	MDN

Common mistakes

Text input mistakes to avoid

Give every field a label and choose limits deliberately.

A placeholder is not a label
Always associate a visible <label for="..."> with the input id. Placeholder text disappears as the user types and is only a hint.
Size is not a length limit
The size attribute suggests a visible width in characters. CSS width controls layout more flexibly; use maxlength to limit the entered length.
Empty values are still submitted
An enabled named text field sends its current value as a name=value pair, including an empty string such as subject=. Form encoding determines how that text is transmitted; disabled or unnamed controls are omitted.

Sources: WHATWG HTML Standard: Text state · MDN: <input type="text">

Copy-paste ready

The <input type="text"> example below is a complete, working form — paste it into any HTML page and it submits, no edits to the markup required.

No backend to build

Your <input type="text"> form posts to one endpoint. No server, PHP, or API route — accepted submissions are saved to your dashboard before owner notification email is attempted; delivery time and inbox placement depend on provider and recipient settings.

A form that really submits

Unlike a static reference snippet, this <input type="text"> form actually sends data to a free splitforms backend, with spam filtering built in.

How it works

How to add <input type="text"> to any page.

Copy the <input type="text"> example, drop in your free access key, and paste it into any page — submissions start landing in your dashboard.

Copy the code

Copy the <input type="text"> example below.

Add your access key

Replace YOUR_ACCESS_KEY with a free splitforms key from the dashboard.

Paste into your site

Drop the form into any HTML page. Submissions arrive in your dashboard.

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What happens after someone submits your form?

splitforms receives the submission, filters spam, saves it to your dashboard and emails you — then, on paid plans, sends it on to your webhooks and integrations. No backend infrastructure to build.

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Point your form to your unique SplitForms endpoint. That's it.

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Questions

<input type="text"> questions, answered.

View all FAQs

Is text the default input type in HTML?

Yes. An omitted or unrecognized type falls back to the text state, so `<input name="name">` is a text field.

Can placeholder replace a label?

No. Add a visible label with a for attribute matching the input id; use placeholder only for a short hint.

What is the difference between size and maxlength?

Size suggests the visible width in characters. Maxlength limits the value length in UTF-16 code units; CSS width controls layout.

What does an empty text input submit?

An enabled input with a name submits that name with an empty string, unless another condition excludes it from the form data.

Should an email address use text or email?

Use type="email" for an email address. It provides email format validation and can show an appropriate mobile keyboard.

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Free gives you 500 submissions for $0 — no card, no time limit. Pro is $5/month for 5,000 submissions a month, and Annual is $49/year for 15,000 a month with every Pro feature.

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