How to Add Text Fields to WordPress Forms

What Is a Text Field in Auto Form Builder?

The Text Input field is a single-line text box for short answers — one row, one value. It is listed under the Basic field category alongside Text Area, Email, Phone, Number, Date, and Time.

Use a Text Input when you need:

• A name, subject line, job title, or city
• A short open-ended answer (under roughly 100 characters)
• A masked password or access code field
• A hidden value passed with the form submission
• Formatted input with validation rules (letters only, custom regex, etc.)

For longer multi-line answers, use the separate Text Area field. For email addresses and phone numbers, the dedicated Email and Phone field types include specialized validation and formatting.

How to Add a Text Field to Your Form

Step 1: Open the Form Builder

In your WordPress admin, go to Auto Form Builder → All Forms, then open an existing form or click Create New Form.

Step 2: Drag the Text Input Field

From the field palette on the left, find Text Input under the Basic category. Drag it onto the form canvas. The field appears with a default label — click it to open settings on the right.

Step 3: Configure the Label and Placeholder

Under base field settings, enter a clear Field Label (e.g., Company Name or Subject). Set Placeholder Text to guide visitors before they type — for example, Enter your company name.

The Field Name is auto-generated from the label for form data submission. You can customize it if needed for webhooks or integrations.

Step 4: Set Width and Required Status

Choose Field Width — Full Width, Half Width, One Third, or Two Thirds — to control layout. Enable Required Field if the text field must be filled before submission.

Step 5: Add Text Field Options (Optional)

Scroll to Text Field Options to configure character limits, validation, password mode, text transform, and more (detailed below).

Step 6: Save, Preview, and Publish

Click Save Form, use the built-in preview (desktop, tablet, mobile) to test the field, then copy the shortcode or embed code from the Forms screen and place the form on any page or external site.

Text Field Settings Explained

Auto Form Builder splits settings into base options (all fields) and text-specific options.

Base Field Settings

• Field Label — displayed above the input
• Field Name — used in submission data and webhooks
• Field Width — full, half, one third, or two thirds
• Required Field — blocks submission when empty
• Placeholder Text — hint text inside the empty field
• Help Text — additional guidance below the field
• CSS Class — optional custom class for styling hooks
• Conditional Logic — show or hide the field based on other answers

Minimum and Maximum Length

Set character limits under Text Field Options. The browser enforces the maximum while typing, and both limits are validated on the server when the form is submitted. Use minimum length to prevent one-word answers on important fields.

Default Value

Pre-fill the field when the form loads — useful for edit forms, UTM tracking values combined with hidden fields, or showing a suggested default.

Password Field

Enable Password Field to mask input with dots. Ideal for access codes, registration passwords, or any sensitive single-line value. Password mode disables conflicting settings like Input Type and Text Transform.

Trim Whitespace

Enable Trim Whitespace to strip leading and trailing spaces before the value is validated and stored — preventing accidental spaces from breaking validation or matching.

Hidden Field

Enable Hidden Field to pass a value with the submission without showing the input to visitors. Set the Hidden Value in the field settings. Hidden fields conflict with Password Field mode.

Validation

Apply format rules from the Validation dropdown:

• None — any text allowed
• Email — email format pattern
• URL — web address format
• Letters only — alphabetic characters and spaces
• Numbers only — digits only
• Letters and numbers — alphanumeric characters
• Custom Pattern — your own regex expression

For dedicated email collection, the Email field type is recommended over text with email validation — it includes built-in email-specific handling.

Input Type

Control browser behavior and mobile keyboard layout:

• Normal Text — standard text input
• Search — search input with clear button
• Telephone — numeric keypad on mobile (for short numeric text, not full phone formatting)
• URL — specialized mobile keyboard for web addresses

Text Transform

Automatically format submitted text:

• UPPERCASE
• lowercase
• Capitalize First Letter
• Title Case

Transformation applies as users type and again on the server when the form is submitted. Disabled when Password Field mode is enabled.

Validation on the Frontend and Server

Text fields are validated at multiple levels:

• HTML attributes — minlength, maxlength, and required enforce basic rules in the browser
• JavaScript validation — real-time checks on blur and submit with clear error messages below the field
• Pattern validation — custom regex and preset format rules checked on the frontend with inline error display
• Server-side validation — length limits and pattern rules validated again on submission so rules cannot be bypassed

This dual-layer approach keeps text data clean whether the form runs on your WordPress site or as an embedded form on an external website.

Practical Text Field Examples

Contact Form Subject Line

• Placeholder: What is this regarding?
• Maximum Length: 100
• Required: Yes

Coupon or Promo Code

• Text Transform: UPPERCASE
• Trim Whitespace: Enabled
• Validation: Letters and numbers
• Maximum Length: 20

City or Department Name

• Text Transform: Title Case
• Validation: Letters only
• Minimum Length: 2

Registration Password

• Password Field: Enabled
• Minimum Length: 8
• Maximum Length: 64
• Required: Yes

UTM Source (Hidden)

• Hidden Field: Enabled
• Hidden Value: newsletter (or dynamic value from URL parameters via your theme)

Text Field vs. Text Area vs. Specialized Fields

• Text Input — single-line short answers with password, hidden, transform, and pattern validation options
• Text Area — multi-line long answers (messages, descriptions, feedback) with rows and character limits
• Email — dedicated email validation and domain restriction options
• Phone — auto-formatting for US, UK, and international numbers
• Name — structured first/last name fields with format options

Choose Text Input for general single-line text. Switch to a specialized field type when the data type needs dedicated handling.

Combine Text Fields with Conditional Logic

Every text field supports free conditional logic. Show a Company Name text field only when a dropdown selection is Business, or reveal a Please specify text field when a radio option is Other. Rules evaluate in real time as visitors change their answers.

Text Fields on Embedded Forms

Forms embedded on non-WordPress sites use the same text field behavior — validation, character limits, password masking, text transform, and conditional logic. Whether placed via shortcode or embed code, text fields work identically everywhere.

Download Auto Form Builder — Free Text Fields

Text Input fields with validation, character limits, password mode, text transform, and conditional logic are included in the free plugin — the same plugin that gives you submission management, form styling, spam protection, and webhooks at no cost.

Install it from the official WordPress.org directory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/auto-form-builder/

Last updated: Last update 11 August

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