


Setting Default Values for Form Inputs with the HTML value Attribute
Jul 13, 2025 am 12:35 AMThe most direct way to set the default value of the form input box is to use the value attribute of HTML. The value attribute is used to specify the initial value of form elements such as <input> and <textarea>, for example: <input type="text" name="username" value="guest">. Common elements that support this attribute include text input boxes, password boxes, radio buttons, check boxes (need to be selected by default with checked settings), submit buttons, etc. Correct usage methods include setting strings for text input, setting legal values for numeric input, and transmitting hidden fields. Notes include: avoid unescaped special characters, <select> elements are selected instead of value, and <textarea> default values should be written in the tag content. Rational use of value can improve user experience and reduce input burden.
Setting default values for form input boxes is a very common requirement in web development, and the most direct way is to use HTML value
attribute. It is simple, effective, and does not require any JavaScript to implement.

What is value
attribute?
In HTML form elements, such as <input>
and <textarea></textarea>
, value
attribute is used to specify the initial value of the input box. This property can be used when you want a certain input box to display a preset content when the page is loaded.

for example:
<input type="text" name="username" value="guest">
In this way, users can open the page and see that the input box has been filled in "guest", and they can modify or retain this value.

Which form elements support value
attribute?
Not all form controls can set default values with value
. Here are some common element types that support this attribute:
- Text input box (
type="text"
) - Password box (
type="password"
) - Radio button (
type="radio"
) - Checkbox (
type="checkbox"
) - but the behavior is slightly different - Submit button (
type="submit"
) etc.
It should be noted that value
of the check box and radio button is mainly used to submit data, rather than controlling the status of "whether it is selected". If you want them to be checked by default, you should add the checked
attribute.
For example:
<input type="checkbox" name="subscribe" value="yes" checked> Subscribe to update
How to set default value
correctly using value?
Text input : Just write what you want to display directly.
<input type="text" name="email" value="example@example.com">
Number input : Make sure the value is a legal number.
<input type="number" name="age" value="18">
Hide fields : Sometimes we will use hidden input boxes to pass values, and we can also use
value
.<input type="hidden" name="user_id" value="12345">
Dynamically generated values : Although
value
is a static property, you can dynamically insert values in the backend or frontend as needed, such as in PHP or JavaScript templates.
Some precautions when using value
- If you accidentally write content that should not appear in the input box into
value
, such as special characters are not escaped, it may cause abnormal page display or security issues. - For
<select>
elements, theselected
attribute is used by default, instead ofvalue
. - In
<textarea>
, the default value should be written between tags instead of usingvalue
:<textarea name="message">This is the default content</textarea>
Basically that's it. Although it's just a simple attribute, it's very practical when building user-friendly forms. Rational use of
value
can reduce the user's input burden and improve the overall experience.The above is the detailed content of Setting Default Values for Form Inputs with the HTML value Attribute. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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