splitforms.com
Get free key

HTML · FORM CONTROL

HTML Textarea — multi-line input with a live working form

Last reviewed

The <textarea> element is a multi-line text input, used for messages, comments, and anything longer than a single line. Unlike <input>, it has opening and closing tags and a size set by rows and cols. Below is a working contact form with a message textarea that actually submits.

Get free access keyHow it works
  • 500 free total
  • No backend
  • Copy-paste ready
Live demo · nothing is sent

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.

Copy-paste code

HTML Textarea 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.

Get free access key
textarea.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" required>

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

  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" rows="5" cols="40"
            maxlength="1000" placeholder="Tell us what you need…"
            required></textarea>

  <input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none">
  <button type="submit">Send message</button>
</form>

Attributes · <textarea>

Which HTML Textarea attributes matter?

These attributes decide how the <textarea> behaves and what actually gets emailed to your inbox when someone submits.

HTML Textarea attributes and what each one does
AttributeWhat it does
rowsThe visible height in text lines. Sets the default size; CSS height overrides it.
colsThe visible width in average characters. Prefer CSS width for real layouts.
maxlengthMaximum number of characters the user can type. Enforce length limits server-side too.
placeholderA hint shown when the textarea is empty. Not a replacement for a <label>.
requiredBoolean. Blocks submit if the textarea is empty.
wrapsoft (default) wraps visually but submits as one line; hard wraps and inserts line breaks.
resizeCSS property — none, vertical, horizontal, or both. Default lets the user drag the corner.

Common mistakes

HTML Textarea not working? Here's why.

Most broken forms come down to a few small mistakes with the <textarea>. Check these before you ship, then forward every submission to Slack or a webhook.

  1. Default content goes between the tags

    Unlike <input value="...">, a textarea's default text is written between <textarea> and </textarea>. Watch for leading whitespace — it shows up in the submitted value.

  2. rows/cols are a fallback

    They set a rough default size. For real layouts, control height and width with CSS so the field matches your design.

  3. maxlength is client-only

    A determined user can remove it in DevTools. Re-validate the length on the server before storing or forwarding the message.

Sources: WHATWG HTML Standard: <textarea> · MDN: <textarea>

Copy-paste ready

The HTML Textarea 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 html textarea 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 <textarea> form actually sends data to a free splitforms backend, with spam filtering built in.

How it works

How to add HTML Textarea to any page.

Copy the html textarea example, drop in your free access key, and paste it into any page — submissions start landing in your dashboard.

Copy the code

Copy the HTML Textarea 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.

Get free access keyAll HTML elements

How SplitForms works

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.

A SplitForms contact form submission launching straight to your inbox

Add your endpoint

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

HTML form pointing at a SplitForms submit endpoint

Receive submissions

We instantly capture and organize every submission in your inbox.

Submissions inbox with searchable leads and status pills

Route anywhere

Send data to email, spreadsheets, CRMs, webhooks, and 7,000+ apps.

Generic integration tiles for email, sheets, chat, CRM, automate, and webhook
Start FreeRead the Docs

No credit card required. Set up in under 60 seconds.

Connect & automate

Where can submissions go besides email?

On paid plans, submissions can also go to Slack, Discord, Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Zapier or any signed webhook — and splitforms works on the platforms you build on, from WordPress and Shopify to Next.js. With Stripe connected, your forms can take payments too.

Connect your SplitForms form to Slack, Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Zapier and more
StripePaymentsDiscordMessagingTelegramMessagingGoogle SheetsSpreadsheetNotionDatabaseMailchimpEmailMakeAutomationWebhookCustomWordPressPlatformShopifyPlatformFramerPlatformNext.jsFrameworkHTMLFramework
SlackMessagingWhatsAppMessagingTeamsMessagingAirtableDatabaseHubSpotCRMZapierAutomationn8nAutomationMCP / AIAgentsElementorPlatformWebflowPlatformCarrdPlatformReactFramework
NewTake payments on your formsDeposits, bookings, order forms — submitters check out through Stripe and the money goes straight to your Stripe account. Included on every paid plan.See plans →
View all integrations →

Setup guides for the stacks you use

HTMLReactNext.jsAstroWebflowWordPress

Questions

HTML Textarea questions, answered.

View all FAQs
What is a textarea in HTML?

A <textarea> is a multi-line text input control. It lets users enter longer content like a message, comment, or description, and submits whatever was typed under its name= attribute when the form is posted.

What is the correct HTML for making a text area?

Use <textarea name="message" rows="5" cols="40"></textarea>. The rows and cols attributes set the default size, and the name= attribute is required for the value to be submitted.

How are textarea cols and rows measured?

rows is the visible height measured in lines of text. cols is the visible width measured in average character widths. Both are approximate — use CSS width and height for precise layouts.

How do I limit textarea length?

Add maxlength="1000" to cap the number of characters the user can type, then check the length again server-side since the attribute can be removed in the browser.

Should I use input or textarea?

Use <input type="text"> for a single line (name, email, subject) and <textarea> for anything that may span multiple lines (message, bio, feedback). Textarea resizes and wraps; a text input does not.

Simple pricing

How much does splitforms cost?

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.

Free

$0— 500 submissions
 

No card, no time limit

Best for testing

For side projects and indie devs.

  • 500 free submissions
  • Unlimited forms
  • Email notifications included
  • Smart spam filtering
  • Submissions dashboard
  • Redirect after submit
  • MCP server included
Get Started
Recommended

Pro

$5/ month
Billed monthly

Every paid feature, for agencies and growing products.

  • 5,000 submissions / mo
  • Unlimited forms
  • Webhooks and integrations
  • CC/BCC, auto-replies and routing
  • File uploads with 500 MB storage
  • Stripe payments on your forms
  • 3 team seats
  • Cancel anytime

Annual

$49/ year
About $4.08/mo, billed yearly
Best value

Every Pro feature with triple the volume — $0.27 per 1,000 at full use.

  • 15,000 submissions / mo
  • Unlimited forms
  • Everything in Pro
  • File uploads with 5 GB storage
  • 3 team seats
  • Priority email support

No credit card required on Free • Cancel anytime • Full pricing and FAQ