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HTML <textarea> Tag


Example

A multi-line text input control (text area):

<label for="w3review">Review of W3Schools:</label>

<textarea id="w3review" name="w3review" rows="4" cols="50">
At w3schools.com you will learn how to make a website. They offer free tutorials in all web development technologies.
</textarea>
Try it Yourself »

More "Try it Yourself" examples below.


Definition and Usage

The <textarea> tag defines a multi-line text input control.

The <textarea> element is often used in a form, to collect user inputs like comments or reviews.

A text area can hold an unlimited number of characters, and the text renders in a fixed-width font (usually Courier).

The size of a text area is specified by the <cols> and <rows> attributes (or with CSS).

The name attribute is needed to reference the form data after the form is submitted (if you omit the name attribute, no data from the text area will be submitted).

The id attribute is needed to associate the text area with a label. 

Tip: Always add the <label> tag for best accessibility practices!


Browser Support

Element
<textarea> Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


Attributes

Attribute Value Description
autofocus autofocus Specifies that a text area should automatically get focus when the page loads
cols number Specifies the visible width of a text area
dirname textareaname.dir Specifies that the text direction of the textarea will be submitted
disabled disabled Specifies that a text area should be disabled
form form_id Specifies which form the text area belongs to
maxlength number Specifies the maximum number of characters allowed in the text area
name text Specifies a name for a text area
placeholder text Specifies a short hint that describes the expected value of a text area
readonly readonly Specifies that a text area should be read-only
required required Specifies that a text area is required/must be filled out
rows number Specifies the visible number of lines in a text area
wrap hard
soft
Specifies how the text in a text area is to be wrapped when submitted in a form

Global Attributes

The <textarea> tag also supports the Global Attributes in HTML.


Event Attributes

The <textarea> tag also supports the Event Attributes in HTML.


More Examples

Example

Disable default resize option:

<html>
<head>
<style>
textarea {
  resize: none;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>

<label for="w3review">Review of W3Schools:</label>

<textarea id="w3review" name="w3review" rows="4" cols="50">
At w3schools.com you will learn how to make a website. They offer free tutorials in all web development technologies.
</textarea>

</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »

Related Pages

HTML DOM reference: Textarea Object

CSS Tutorial: Styling Forms


Default CSS Settings

None.