Textarea

Use the textarea component for multi-line text input form fields.

On this page

import {Textarea} from '@primer/react'

Examples

Textarea components must always be accompanied by a corresponding label to improve support for assistive technologies. Examples below are provided for conciseness and may not reflect accessibility best practices.

Use the FormControl component to render a Textarea with a corresponding label.

Controlled mode

const TextareaExample = () => {
  // Running in controlled mode (recommended)
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState(
    'This value was initially set through state.',
  )

  const handleChange = (event) => {
    setValue(event.target.value)
  }

  return (
    <Textarea
      placeholder="Enter a description"
      onChange={handleChange}
      value={value}
    />
  )
}

render(<TextareaExample />)

const TextareaExample = () => {
  // Running in controlled mode (recommended)
  const [value, setValue] = React.useState(
    'This value was initially set through state.',
  )

  const handleChange = (event) => {
    setValue(event.target.value)
  }

  return (
    <Textarea
      placeholder="Enter a description"
      onChange={handleChange}
      value={value}
    />
  )
}

render(<TextareaExample />)

Uncontrolled mode

const TextareaExample = () => {
  const ref = React.useRef()

  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
    event.preventDefault()
    if (!ref.current.value) {
      alert(`Enter a value into the Textarea and press submit`)
      return
    }

    alert(`Current Textarea value: ${ref.current.value}`)
  }

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <Textarea
        cols={40}
        rows={8}
        ref={ref}
        defaultValue="Set the initial state in uncontrolled mode using the defaultValue prop"
      />
      <br /> <br />
      <Button variant="primary" type="submit">
        Submit
      </Button>
    </form>
  )
}

render(<TextareaExample />)

const TextareaExample = () => {
  const ref = React.useRef()

  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
    event.preventDefault()
    if (!ref.current.value) {
      alert(`Enter a value into the Textarea and press submit`)
      return
    }

    alert(`Current Textarea value: ${ref.current.value}`)
  }

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <Textarea
        cols={40}
        rows={8}
        ref={ref}
        defaultValue="Set the initial state in uncontrolled mode using the defaultValue prop"
      />
      <br /> <br />
      <Button variant="primary" type="submit">
        Submit
      </Button>
    </form>
  )
}

render(<TextareaExample />)

Displaying form validation state

<Stack direction="vertical">
  <FormControl validationStatus="success">
    <FormControl.Label>Success state</FormControl.Label>
    <Textarea />
    <FormControl.Validation>This is a success message</FormControl.Validation>
  </FormControl>
</Stack>
<Stack direction="vertical">
  <FormControl validationStatus="error">
    <FormControl.Label>Error state</FormControl.Label>
    <Textarea />
    <FormControl.Validation>This is an error message</FormControl.Validation>
  </FormControl>
</Stack>

<Stack direction="vertical">
  <FormControl validationStatus="success">
    <FormControl.Label>Success state</FormControl.Label>
    <Textarea />
    <FormControl.Validation>This is a success message</FormControl.Validation>
  </FormControl>
</Stack>
<Stack direction="vertical">
  <FormControl validationStatus="error">
    <FormControl.Label>Error state</FormControl.Label>
    <Textarea />
    <FormControl.Validation>This is an error message</FormControl.Validation>
  </FormControl>
</Stack>

Inactive

<Textarea disabled>This text is inactive</Textarea>

<Textarea disabled>This text is inactive</Textarea>

Resize

By default, Textarea can be resized by the user vertically and horizontally. Resizing can be prevented by setting resize to none

<Textarea resize="none" />

<Textarea resize="none" />

Props

Textarea

Name	Type	Default	Description
`className`	`string`		Sets a custom class
`cols`	`number`	`30`	Specifies the visible width of a textarea.
`id`	`string`		Sets a custom id
`ref`	`React.RefObject`		Forward a Ref to the underlying DOM node
`required`	`boolean`		Indicates to the user and assistive technologies that the field value is required.
`resize`	`'both'` `'horizontal'` `'vertical'` `'none'`	`'both'`	Sets whether an element is resizable, and if so, in which directions.
`rows`	`number`	`7`	Specifies the visible height of a text area.
`size`	`'medium'` `'large'`		Provides alternate visual presentation.
`validationStatus`	`'error'` `'success'`		Applies visual and semantic state to the underlying elements

Additional props can be passed to the <textarea> element. See MDN for a list of props accepted by the <textarea> element.

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Textarea