TextArea

TextAreas are multiline text inputs, useful for cases where users have a sizable amount of text to enter. They allow for all customizations that are available to text fields.

Example#

<TextArea label="Description" />

<TextArea label="Description" />

<TextArea label="Description" />

Value#

A TextArea's value is empty by default, but an initial, uncontrolled, value can be provided using the defaultValue prop. Alternatively, a controlled value can be provided using the value prop.

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState('This is on a wait list');

  return (
    <Flex gap="size-150" wrap>
      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Uncontrolled)"
        defaultValue="This is on a wait list" />

      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Controlled)"
        value={value}
        onChange={setValue} />
    </Flex>
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState(
    'This is on a wait list'
  );

  return (
    <Flex gap="size-150" wrap>
      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Uncontrolled)"
        defaultValue="This is on a wait list"
      />

      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Controlled)"
        value={value}
        onChange={setValue}
      />
    </Flex>
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] =
    React.useState(
      'This is on a wait list'
    );

  return (
    <Flex
      gap="size-150"
      wrap
    >
      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Uncontrolled)"
        defaultValue="This is on a wait list"
      />

      <TextArea
        label="Notes (Controlled)"
        value={value}
        onChange={setValue}
      />
    </Flex>
  );
}

Labeling#

A visual label should be provided for the TextArea using the label prop. If the TextArea is required, the isRequired and necessityIndicator props can be used to show a required state.

<Flex gap="size-150" wrap>
  <TextArea label="Address" />
  <TextArea label="Address" isRequired necessityIndicator="icon" />
  <TextArea label="Address" isRequired necessityIndicator="label" />
  <TextArea label="Address" necessityIndicator="label" />
</Flex>

<Flex gap="size-150" wrap>
  <TextArea label="Address" />
  <TextArea
    label="Address"
    isRequired
    necessityIndicator="icon"
  />
  <TextArea
    label="Address"
    isRequired
    necessityIndicator="label"
  />
  <TextArea label="Address" necessityIndicator="label" />
</Flex>

<Flex
  gap="size-150"
  wrap
>
  <TextArea label="Address" />
  <TextArea
    label="Address"
    isRequired
    necessityIndicator="icon"
  />
  <TextArea
    label="Address"
    isRequired
    necessityIndicator="label"
  />
  <TextArea
    label="Address"
    necessityIndicator="label"
  />
</Flex>

Accessibility#

If a visible label isn't specified, an aria-label must be provided to the TextArea for accessibility. If the field is labeled by a separate element, an aria-labelledby prop must be provided using the id of the labeling element instead.

Internationalization#

In order to internationalize a TextArea, a localized string should be passed to the label or aria-label prop. When the necessityIndicator prop is set to "label", a localized string will be provided for "(required)" or "(optional)" automatically.

Events#

TextArea accepts an onChange prop which is triggered whenever the value is edited by the user. For a full list of supported events, see the Props table below.

The example below uses onChange to update a separate pre element with the same text entered into the TextArea.

function Example() {
  let [text, setText] = React.useState('');

  return (
    <Flex direction="column">
      <TextArea
        onChange={setText}
        label="Your text"
      />
      <pre>Mirrored text: {text}</pre>
    </Flex>
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [text, setText] = React.useState('');

  return (
    <Flex direction="column">
      <TextArea
        onChange={setText}
        label="Your text"
      />
      <pre>Mirrored text: {text}</pre>
    </Flex>
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [text, setText] =
    React.useState('');

  return (
    <Flex direction="column">
      <TextArea
        onChange={setText}
        label="Your text"
      />
      <pre>Mirrored text: {text}</pre>
    </Flex>
  );
}

Validation#

TextAreas can display a validation state to communicate to the user whether the current value is valid or invalid. Implement your own validation logic in your app and pass either "valid" or "invalid" to the TextArea via the validationState prop.

The example below illustrates how one would validate if the user entered more than 20 characters into the TextArea.

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState('Lorem ipsum dolor sit');
  let isValid = React.useMemo(() => value.length <= 20, [value]);

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid ? 'valid' : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Description" />
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState(
    'Lorem ipsum dolor sit'
  );
  let isValid = React.useMemo(() => value.length <= 20, [
    value
  ]);

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid ? 'valid' : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Description"
    />
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] =
    React.useState(
      'Lorem ipsum dolor sit'
    );
  let isValid = React
    .useMemo(
      () =>
        value.length <=
          20,
      [value]
    );

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid
        ? 'valid'
        : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Description"
    />
  );
}

Props#

Visual options#

Quiet#

View guidelines

<TextArea label="Email" isQuiet />

<TextArea label="Email" isQuiet />

<TextArea
  label="Email"
  isQuiet
/>

Disabled#

View guidelines

<TextArea label="Email" isDisabled />

<TextArea label="Email" isDisabled />

<TextArea
  label="Email"
  isDisabled
/>

Read only#

The isReadOnly boolean prop makes the TextArea's text content immutable. Unlike isDisabled, the TextArea remains focusable and the contents can still be copied. See the MDN docs for more information.

<TextArea label="Email" defaultValue="abc@adobe.com" isReadOnly />

<TextArea
  label="Email"
  defaultValue="abc@adobe.com"
  isReadOnly
/>

<TextArea
  label="Email"
  defaultValue="abc@adobe.com"
  isReadOnly
/>

Label alignment and position#

View guidelines

By default, the label is positioned above the TextArea. The labelPosition prop can be used to position the label to the side. The labelAlign prop can be used to align the label as "start" or "end". For left-to-right (LTR) languages, "start" refers to the left most edge of the TextArea and "end" refers to the right most edge. For right-to-left (RTL) languages, this is flipped.

<TextArea label="Search" labelPosition="side" labelAlign="end" />

<TextArea
  label="Search"
  labelPosition="side"
  labelAlign="end"
/>

<TextArea
  label="Search"
  labelPosition="side"
  labelAlign="end"
/>

Help text#

View guidelines

Both a description and an error message can be supplied to a TextArea. The description is always visible unless the validationState is “invalid” and an error message is provided. The error message can be used to help the user fix their input quickly and should be specific to the detected error. All strings should be localized.

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState('0');
  let isValid = React.useMemo(() => /^\d$/.test(value), [value]);

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid ? 'valid' : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Favorite number"
      maxLength={1}
      description="Enter a single digit number."
      errorMessage={value === ''
        ? 'Empty input not allowed.'
        : 'Single digit numbers are 0-9.'}
    />
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] = React.useState('0');
  let isValid = React.useMemo(() => /^\d$/.test(value), [
    value
  ]);

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid ? 'valid' : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Favorite number"
      maxLength={1}
      description="Enter a single digit number."
      errorMessage={value === ''
        ? 'Empty input not allowed.'
        : 'Single digit numbers are 0-9.'}
    />
  );
}

function Example() {
  let [value, setValue] =
    React.useState('0');
  let isValid = React
    .useMemo(
      () =>
        /^\d$/.test(
          value
        ),
      [value]
    );

  return (
    <TextArea
      validationState={isValid
        ? 'valid'
        : 'invalid'}
      value={value}
      onChange={setValue}
      label="Favorite number"
      maxLength={1}
      description="Enter a single digit number."
      errorMessage={value ===
          ''
        ? 'Empty input not allowed.'
        : 'Single digit numbers are 0-9.'}
    />
  );
}

Contextual help#

A ContextualHelp element may be placed next to the label to provide additional information or help about a TextArea.

import {Content, ContextualHelp, Heading} from '@adobe/react-spectrum';

<TextArea
  label="Comment"
  contextualHelp={
    <ContextualHelp variant="info">
      <Heading>Comment tips</Heading>
      <Content>
        Comments will be screened prior to being published. Please be nice!
      </Content>
    </ContextualHelp>
  }
/>

import {
  Content,
  ContextualHelp,
  Heading
} from '@adobe/react-spectrum';

<TextArea
  label="Comment"
  contextualHelp={
    <ContextualHelp variant="info">
      <Heading>Comment tips</Heading>
      <Content>
        Comments will be screened prior to being
        published. Please be nice!
      </Content>
    </ContextualHelp>
  }
/>

import {
  Content,
  ContextualHelp,
  Heading
} from '@adobe/react-spectrum';

<TextArea
  label="Comment"
  contextualHelp={
    <ContextualHelp variant="info">
      <Heading>
        Comment tips
      </Heading>
      <Content>
        Comments will
        be screened
        prior to being
        published.
        Please be nice!
      </Content>
    </ContextualHelp>
  }
/>

Custom width#

View guidelines

<TextArea label="Email" width="size-3600" maxWidth="100%" />

<TextArea label="Email" width="size-3600" maxWidth="100%" />

<TextArea
  label="Email"
  width="size-3600"
  maxWidth="100%"
/>