Set the default value of an input field

Question

How would you set the default value of a form <input> text field in JavaScript?

Nilla

I just wanted to point out that depending on the type of your input field, it may not allow setting its value if it is a file. See this question: #61750665 – Transposition

Answer 1

This is one way of doing it:

document.getElementById("nameofid").value = "My value";

Aviva

I will, is there a way to make the vale NULL if the user clicks on the field ? – Nilla

Yes, assign an event handler to the input field that wipes the value onclick. Example: elem.onclick = clearField(); // that would point to a function that wipes the field by setting the value to nothing, similar to the answer above. – Aviva

for me it didn't work. will the above create the value attribute? – Ender

This doesn't seem to work if you're trying to change the value for the input-tag itself. To clarify, if I have a button that should change its value when it is clicked, I don't seem to be able to change it, neither by "this.parentNode.getElementByTagName('input').style.display='none';" nor by using this.style.display='none'; Also, I even tried to use ".style = display: none;';" with no success... – Lochia

This and other answers to the question above seems to ignore that the default value shall be changed. Using .value = ... does change the current value only. Resetting the form (with <input type="reset" /> for example) will change the value back to the original one. In contrast, setAttribute("value", ...) works properly in Firefox and Chrome. The default value is changed but the actual value is only changed if the user have not modified it already. However, setAttribute is not recommended because of browser compatibility. Is there any other possibility? – Inexactitude

I don't have element ID, instead I have the name of element. What can I do in this case? – Intoxicating

@RiponAlWasim see #2981330 – Leukocyte

this solution does not work for me. The value is not updated on screen. Is any trick necessary? – Northwest

HELP! I do it but the value always change back to original once I click to another field or click to any button on the page. This is the website I do it (with class"_56AraZ") shopee.vn/buyer/login?next=https%3A%2F%2Fshopee.vn%2F Can anyone show me how to really set the value to automate login in this website. – Miranda

@Inexactitude you said what I wanna say. So have you found the answer now? – Miranda

@ZuiZui There is element.defaultvalue. – Inexactitude

Thanks for this answer! I was trying to use innerHTML and it didn't work. – Ops

Answer 2

I use setAttribute():

<input type="text" id="example"> // Setup text field 
<script type="text/javascript"> 
  document.getElementById("example").setAttribute('value','My default value');
</script>

Ruisdael

value should be accessed directly using dot notation: developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element.setAttribute you only use set/getAttribute to deal with the original value. After DOM is loaded, .value represents the actual working value of the element. – Furie

@ChrisBaker I would +1000 this answer if I could. I have a 3rd party app that scans input fields to automate the application (my page renders in an embedded ie Control). This is a unique scenario where input fields are consumed by the client's app. Input fields were not reset immediately after postback using .value in my document ready function. When I had a subsequent async postback the user would initiate, it would reuse these input values to automate something they clicked on earlier and I needed the page to "forget them". This is the hacky magical sauce I needed. Thank you Pepe and Chris! – Experimentalize

I'm using Yii 2.0 and setting the .value = '' directly wouldn't properly run form validation on the field. Using setAttribute('value','...') is properly handled. thanks! – Faradize

I have a strange problem that solved with setAttribute. My problem was changing value of an input through a function call, change last changed inputs too. – Reardon

I could set value to a pop-up modal input (text) only using this answer. .value did not work for me. Thank you – Hebbel

Answer 3

if your form contains an input field like

<input type='text' id='id1' />

then you can write the code in javascript as given below to set its value as

document.getElementById('id1').value='text to be displayed' ; 

Kancler

Answer 4

Instead of using document.getElementById() you can use document.querySelector() for different cases

more info from another Stack Overflow answer:

querySelector lets you find elements with rules that can't be expressed with getElementById and getElementsByClassName

EXAMPLE:

document.querySelector('input[name="myInput"]').value = 'Whatever you want!';

or

let myInput = document.querySelector('input[name="myInput"]');
myInput.value = 'Whatever you want!';

Test:

document.querySelector('input[name="myInput"]').value = 'Whatever you want!';

<input type="text" name="myInput" id="myInput" placeholder="Your text">

Claxton

Do you want to add it to your answer or should I post a new answer: document.querySelector("#name").value='foo' works with id which is widely used. – Vertex

@Vertex Well my answer answers the question, querySelector can have multiple rules. Your comment is helpful! I will upvote it but I wouldn't post a new answer because it is the same – Claxton

If the elements have id defined, better to use getElementById() as it could be miles faster than querySelector(), especially on larger pages. – Waggish

Answer 5

If you are using multiple forms, you can use:

<form name='myForm'>
    <input type='text' name='name' value=''>
</form>

<script type="text/javascript"> 
    document.forms['myForm']['name'].value = "New value";
</script>

Halicarnassus

The reason I like this answer, is that you use the "name" attribute of the form rather than the DOM element ID, why add an ID field to each of the form inputs when you don't need to? – Loudmouth

@Loudmouth totally agreed, and this is the first answer I found using "name" not "id". – Mikkel

What is more efficient, retrieving the value by input id or by form and input name? seems like there are not many forms on the page but many elements. – Chace

Using your code to set the input value via the form element, it does not get updated in the html on the site. When I address the input directly, it gets updated. – Vertex

Thanks. document.getElementByName("timer1") didn't work for me, but document.forms['loginform']['timer1'] did. – Infix

Answer 6

Try out these.

document.getElementById("current").value = 12

// or

var current = document.getElementById("current");
current.value = 12

Paquette

Never set non-text values to such fields. If you read back you will read string (!) in some browsers ) – Anurous

Answer 7

The answer is really simple

// Your HTML text field

<input type="text" name="name" id="txt">

//Your javascript

<script type="text/javascript"> 
document.getElementById("txt").value = "My default value";
</script>

Or if you want to avoid JavaScript entirely: You can define it just using HTML

<input type="text" name="name" id="txt" value="My default value">

Tsarevna

Answer 8

<input id="a_name" type="text" />

Here is the solution using jQuery:

$(document).ready(function(){
  $('#a_name').val('something');
});

Or, using JavaScript:

document.getElementById("a_name").value = "Something";

Rumpus

Answer 9

The simple answer is not in Javascript the simplest way to get the placeholder is through the place holder attribute

<input type="text" name="text_box_1" placeholder="My Default Value" />

Charge

The problem with this is that it doesn't work for Internet Explorer at all. If you know you aren't going to have IE clients, then yes, this is the best answer. – Erotica

@Erotica This is probably actually a good thing to do even if you do know you have IE clients (possibly in addition to a JavaScript solution) as it will also re-set the value when the field is emptied. – Suckerfish

@Erotica when did IE not support the placeholder attribute, use IE and go to www.1c3br3ak3r-multimedia.ca and look at the search bar, it uses the placeholder attribute – Charge

@Jdoonan not that long ago actually - caniuse.com/#feat=input-placeholder placeholder is supported in IE10 and up – Legionary

Answer 10

document.getElementById("fieldId").value = "Value";

or

document.forms['formId']['fieldId'].value = "Value";

or

document.getElementById("fieldId").setAttribute('value','Value');

Peristome

setAttribute('value','Value'); does not set the visible value in the text box for me on Chrome. – Ifill

Answer 11

It's simple; An example is:

<input type="text" id="example"> // Setup text field 
<script type="text/javascript"> 
var elem = document.getElementById("example"); // Get text field
elem.value = "My default value"; // Change field
</script>

Andro

Answer 12

If the field for whatever reason only has a name attribute and nothing else, you can try this:

document.getElementsByName("INPUTNAME")[0].value = "TEXT HERE";

Mcdougall

Answer 13

<form>
  <input type="number"  id="inputid"  value="2000" />
</form>


<script>
var form_value = document.getElementById("inputid").value;
</script>    

You can also change the default value to a new value

<script>
document.getElementById("inputid").value = 4000;     
</script>

Supertanker

Answer 14

This part you use in html

<input id="latitude" type="text" name="latitude"></p>

This is javaScript:

<script>
document.getElementById("latitude").value=25;
</script>

Emanuelemanuela

Answer 15

You can also try:

document.getElementById('theID').value = 'new value';

Kalong

Setting a new value isn't setting the default value. Therefore, this doesn't solves the problem. You should say that as the comment of the post once you've gain enough reputation. – Playtime

Answer 16

Direct access

If you use ID then you have direct access to input in JS global scope

myInput.value = 'default_value'

<input id="myInput">

Mediant

Answer 17

HTML:

<input id="smtpHost" type="user" name="smtpHost">

JS:

(document.getElementById("smtpHost") as HTMLInputElement).value = data.smtpHost;

Lansquenet

as HTMLInputElement is Typescript, isn't it? – Antiphony

Yes, it is Typescript. – Lansquenet

Answer 18

 
      function GetAmount()
      {
      var insertNow = document.getElementById("insert").value;
      document.getElementById("output").setAttribute('value',insertNow);
      }
   

  <label>Capture input box</label>
  <br clear="all"/>
  <input id="insert">
  <input onClick="GetAmount()" type="submit" title="Submit">
  <br/>

   <label>Display input box</label>
   <form>
   <input id="output" value="">
   <input type="submit" title="Submit">
   </form>

   

Oleneolenka

Answer 19

The following code work perfectly well:

var $div = ('#js-div-hour input');
$div.attr('value','2022/01/10');

Pashto

Please test easily testable code before submitting. The code you have posted does not work as posted. – Antiphony