HTML · INPUT ATTRIBUTE

HTML min and max attributes: limit number and date inputs

Last reviewed November 3, 2026

min and max set the allowed range for number, range, date, time, datetime-local, month and week inputs. A value outside it sets validity.rangeUnderflow or validity.rangeOverflow and blocks the submit, while a range slider clamps to the limit instead. They don't apply to text inputs; use minlength and maxlength there.

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Minimal snippet

min-max-example.html

<input type="number" name="guests" min="1" max="10" step="1" required>

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min-max.html

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

  <label for="guests">Number of guests</label>
  <input type="number" id="guests" name="guests" min="1" max="10" step="1" required>

  <!-- In real use, set min to today's date with JavaScript -->
  <label for="date">Date</label>
  <input type="date" id="date" name="date" min="2026-11-03" max="2026-12-31" required>

  <label for="time">Time</label>
  <input type="time" id="time" name="time" min="09:00" max="17:00" required>

  <!-- Honeypot: hidden from people, bots fill it in -->
  <input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none">

  <button type="submit">Book</button>
</form>

min and max by input type

What format do min and max use for each input type?

min and max use the same machine format as the input's value, not the format the browser shows, so a date limit is always yyyy-mm-dd whatever the visitor's locale.

What format do min and max use for each input type?
Input type	min/max format	Example	Out of range
number	A number, decimals allowed	`min="1" max="10"`	Blocks the submit (`rangeUnderflow` / `rangeOverflow`)
range	A number (defaults: 0 and 100)	`min="0" max="50"`	Can't happen: the slider clamps to the limit
date	`yyyy-mm-dd`	`min="2026-11-03"`	Blocks the submit
time	`hh:mm` or `hh:mm:ss` (24-hour)	`min="09:00" max="17:00"`	Blocks the submit
datetime-local	`yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm`	`min="2026-11-03T09:00"`	Blocks the submit
month	`yyyy-mm`	`max="2026-12"`	Blocks the submit
week	`yyyy-Www`	`min="2026-W45"`	Blocks the submit

Sources: MDN: min attribute · MDN: max attribute

Attributes · min / max

Which attributes go with min and max?

step and required decide which values inside the range are really allowed.

HTML min and max attributes attributes and what each one does
Attribute	What it does	Docs
`min`	The lowest allowed value, in the input type's own format, like `min="1"` or `min="2026-11-03"`.	MDN
`max`	The highest allowed value, like `max="10"` or `max="17:00"`.	MDN
`step`	The allowed steps, counted from `min`. `step="1"` allows whole numbers only; `step="any"` turns the check off.	MDN
`required`	Makes the field mandatory. An empty field passes `min` and `max`, so add `required` if a value is needed.	MDN

Common mistakes

min and max mistakes to avoid

Most problems come from the wrong input type, the wrong date format or trusting the browser alone.

min and max do nothing on type=text
Text, email, tel and similar inputs ignore min and max. Use minlength and maxlength to limit the length, or pattern to limit which characters are allowed.
Date limits must be yyyy-mm-dd
Write min="2026-11-03", not the display format like 11/03/2026. A value in the wrong format is ignored, so the field has no limit.
step counts from min
Allowed values are min plus whole steps. With min="1" step="2", only odd numbers (1, 3, 5…) pass, and 2 is flagged as stepMismatch.
A time range can cross midnight
For type="time", max may be smaller than min. min="22:00" max="02:00" is allowed and means an overnight range: 22:00 to 02:00.
Typed values aren't clamped, so check on the server
The spinner and keyboard arrows stop at the limits, but a visitor can still type 50 into a max="10" field; the browser only blocks it on submit. Anyone can also remove the attributes, so always check the range on the server.

Sources: WHATWG HTML Standard: the min and max attributes · MDN: min

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Questions

HTML min and max attributes questions, answered.

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What is the difference between min/max and minlength/maxlength?

min and max limit the value of number, range, date and time inputs, like 1 to 10 guests. minlength and maxlength limit how many characters a text input or textarea holds. Each pair is ignored on the other kind of input.

How do I set the min of a date input to today?

HTML has no "today" keyword, so set it with JavaScript: build today's local date as yyyy-mm-dd and assign it to the input's min property, for example input.min = today. Avoid new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10), because it uses UTC and can be a day off.

Why does my number input accept a value above max?

The browser doesn't stop typing, it only blocks the submit. If the form has novalidate, the button has formnovalidate, or your script sends the form with form.submit() or fetch, the check never runs. Call form.reportValidity() first, and check the range on the server.

Can max be smaller than min?

Only on time inputs, where it means a range that crosses midnight, like 22:00 to 02:00. On number, date and the other types, no value can pass, so every non-empty value is flagged.

How do I show a custom error when a value is out of range?

Listen for the field's input event. When field.validity.rangeOverflow is true, call field.setCustomValidity("Please choose 10 guests or fewer."), do the same for rangeUnderflow, and call setCustomValidity("") once the value is valid again so the form can submit.

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