Text input

A field where a person types something in: letters, numbers, symbols.

Also called: input, text field, text box, field, form field, input field, textarea, multiline field, password, eye in the password field, show password, mask

What it is for

It collects what the user knows and you don’t. A good field has a label, a placeholder, an input mask when it helps, and built-in validation: error messages or hints that show up before the form is sent.

Where you see it

• Logging in — email and password fields, often with a show/hide password button
• Checkout — address and phone fields with a format mask
• Search — the box where you type a query

What it is called in code

• <input type="text">
• <textarea>
• <input type="password">

See also

• Dropdown list — A field that opens a list when you click it, so you can pick one or several options.
• Checkbox — A small square you tick to select an option, and untick to deselect it.
• Tooltip — A small text bubble that appears when you hover over or focus on an element.