Reference · Beginner
HTML form elements
Collect user input with form, label, input, textarea, select, button, fieldset, and legend while preserving clear relationships.
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- Editorial team
- Reviewer
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- Review tier
- 180-day
Definition
Form elements define controls, labels, groups, and submission behavior for collecting input.
Minimal valid pattern
<form action="/subscribe" method="post">
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="email" autocomplete="email" required />
<button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
</form>Key relationships
Every control needs a programmatic label. Related controls use fieldset and
legend. The name identifies submitted data; type provides expected
semantics and behavior.
Accessibility and security
Keep labels visible, errors specific, and focus predictable. Validate on the server, encode output, protect mutable endpoints from abuse, and do not claim a submission succeeds without a real endpoint.
Common misuse
Placeholders do not replace labels. A styled generic element does not replace a button. Client validation does not establish trust.