maxLength
Control Text Area Length with the HTMLTextAreaElement's Property

Understand and implement character limits in text areas for a better user experience.

Cross-browser compatibility since July 2015
💡Clear explanation of character limits

Introduction Understanding the HTMLTextAreaElement maxLength Property

The maxLength property of the HTMLTextAreaElement is a crucial attribute that dictates the maximum number of characters a user can input into a text area. This is essential for data validation and enhancing user experience.

This property directly reflects the maxlength attribute of the , directly influences the maxLength property accessible via JavaScript. The property's value corresponds to the number specified in the maxlength attribute.

Compatibility Browser and Support

The maxLength property is widely supported across all modern browsers and has been available since July 2015. This includes major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Always refer to the latest browser compatibility tables (e.g., MDN Web Docs) for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

The `maxLength` property is a fundamental tool for controlling the user input within text areas, ensuring data integrity and enhancing user experience.

MDN Contributors

Key Takeaways

Recap of the important points.

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Character Limit Control

The `maxLength` property sets and retrieves the maximum character limit of a `<textarea>` element.

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Wide Browser Support

This feature is widely supported across all major browsers since July 2015.

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Implementation

You can use `textarea.maxLength = value` or `textarea.getAttribute('maxlength')` to retrieve and set the value of the maxlength property.

Validation Character Limit Enforcement and

Browsers generally prevent users from entering more characters than allowed by the maxlength attribute.

If the user attempts to enter more characters, the element is considered invalid. You can use JavaScript to further validate the data and provide helpful feedback to the user.

Example Retrieving and Setting the maxLength Attribute

Here is an HTML example showing how you can use the property to set or get the value of the maxlength attribute:

`html `