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Placeholder CSS

Updated on 03/03/20242,816 Views

Table of Content

Introduction

Placeholders are brief textual tips or samples presented inside form input fields before users enter their data in web development. They act as practical visual signals by informing users of the desired input format or data needed in that field. Developers can further improve the look and behavior of placeholders by utilizing CSS, even if HTML5 introduces the placeholder attribute for input elements.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a potent tool for managing how web pages are presented and laid out. Developers can alter placeholders' appearance to reflect the website's overall design and enhance the user experience by applying CSS styles to them. Customizing placeholders is frequently done by altering the font family, color scheme, and alignment, and adding animations or transitions.

In this tutorial, you will learn in detail about the various aspects of placeholder CSS, placeholder HTML, change Placeholder color inline CSS, and many more tips in regards to using placeholders.

Overview

In web development, placeholders are snippets of temporary text or hints that are displayed within form input fields to direct users as to what data to type. When users begin entering the field, they disappear. It is possible to improve the aesthetic appeal and user experience of web forms by styling placeholders with CSS. This tutorial will cover how to use placeholders effectively for web development.

Styling Placeholders with CSS

Placeholder Pseudo Element: The placeholder text inside an input or textarea element is targeted and styled using the ::placeholder pseudo-element in CSS. It enables developers to alter placeholder appearances without changing the input text itself.

Styling Properties: The ::placeholder pseudo-element can have numerous CSS styling features applied to it by developers. Several typical traits are:

color: Sets the color of the placeholder text.
font-family: Specifies the font family for the placeholder text.
font-size: Sets the font size of the placeholder text.
font style: Applies styles like italics to the placeholder text.
text-align: Aligns the placeholder text within the input field.
padding: Adds padding around the placeholder text.
opacity: Adjusts the transparency of the placeholder text.

Browser Compatibility: It's important to verify compatibility with earlier versions of browsers, even though the majority of contemporary ones enable decorating placeholders with CSS. It's advisable to test the CSS code on various browsers because some outdated browsers might not completely support this functionality.

Fallback for Old Browsers: JavaScript can be used as a fallback option for outdated browsers that don't fully support placeholders in CSS. Many libraries are available to elegantly handle such fallbacks.

Use Cases: The general aesthetics and usefulness of web forms can be enhanced by styling placeholders. Developers can provide users with clear input instructions, match placeholders to the website's design style, and improve the form's aesthetic appeal.

Example of Placeholder in CSS

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
::-webkit-input-placeholder { /* Edge */
  color: green;
}

:-ms-input-placeholder { /* Internet Explorer */
  color: green;
}

::placeholder {
  color: green;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>

<p>Use the ::placeholder selector to change the color of the placeholder text:</p>

<input type="text" name="fname" placeholder="First name">

</body>
</html>

Explanation:

The provided HTML code is an example of how to use CSS to change the color of the placeholder text in an input field. The CSS code targets different browsers with vendor prefixes to ensure compatibility across various browsers.

Here's a breakdown of the CSS code:

::-webkit-input-placeholder: This selector is used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for browsers based on the WebKit engine, such as Safari and some versions of Chrome. The color: green; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to green for these browsers.
:-ms-input-placeholder: This selector is used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for Internet Explorer. The color: green; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to green for Internet Explorer.
::placeholder: This is the standard selector used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for most modern browsers that support the placeholder attribute. The color: green; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to green for these browsers.

By applying these CSS rules, the placeholder text in the input field will appear in green color across different browsers that support the ::placeholder pseudo-element or its vendor-prefixed versions.

Note that vendor prefixes like -webkit- and -ms- are used to ensure compatibility with older versions of some browsers. However, it's worth mentioning that as of my last update in September 2021, modern versions of major browsers generally support the standard ::placeholder selector without the need for vendor prefixes. Nevertheless, using the vendor prefixes may still be considered good practice for compatibility with older browsers.

Supported Styles

Because the ::placeholder pseudo-element has specific limitations, fewer CSS styles may be applied to placeholders than to plain text. The following styles are supported for styling placeholders:

color: Sets the color of the placeholder text.

font-family: Specifies the font family for the placeholder text.

font-size: Sets the font size of the placeholder text.

font style: Applies styles like italics to the placeholder text.

font-weight: Sets the font weight of the placeholder text.

text-align: Aligns the placeholder text within the input field.

text-transform: Transforms the text case (e.g., uppercase, lowercase) of the placeholder text.

letter-spacing: Adjusts the spacing between characters in the placeholder text.

word-spacing: Adjusts the spacing between words in the placeholder text.

line-height: Sets the line height of the placeholder text.

Please be aware that other characteristics like background colour, border, and padding only apply to the input element itself and not to the ::placeholder pseudo-element, so they won't alter how the placeholder text appears.

How to Change CSS Placeholder Color?

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style>
::placeholder {
  color: blue;
  opacity: 1; /* Firefox */
}

:-ms-input-placeholder { /* Internet Explorer 10-11 */
 color: blue;
}

::-ms-input-placeholder { /* Microsoft Edge */
 color: blue;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>

<p>Change the placeholder color:</p>

<input type="text" placeholder="A red placeholder text..">

</body>
</html>

Explanation:

The provided HTML code demonstrates how to change the color of the placeholder text in an input field to blue. It includes CSS rules to target different browsers and ensure compatibility. Here's an explanation of the CSS code:

::placeholder: This is the standard selector used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for most modern browsers that support the placeholder attribute. The color: blue; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to blue.
opacity: 1: This rule specifically targets Firefox, as it applies the placeholder color correctly. In some versions of Firefox, the color property alone may not be enough to change the placeholder color. Setting opacity: 1; ensures the blue color is fully applied in Firefox.
:-ms-input-placeholder: This selector is used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for Internet Explorer 10 and 11. The color: blue; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to blue for these versions of Internet Explorer.
::-ms-input-placeholder: This selector is used for targeting the placeholder text in input fields for Microsoft Edge. The color: blue; rule sets the color of the placeholder text to blue for Microsoft Edge.

By applying these CSS rules, the placeholder text in the input field will appear in blue color across different browsers that support the ::placeholder, :-ms-input-placeholder, and ::-ms-input-placeholder selectors.

As a result, the placeholder text in the provided input field will be blue on most modern browsers, Firefox, Internet Explorer 10 and 11, and Microsoft Edge.

Accessibility Concerns of a Placeholder

Web forms utilize placeholders to give a brief description or a sample of the anticipated input format in an input field. By giving context and direction, placeholders can enhance the user experience, but they can also raise accessibility issues. The following are some accessibility problems with placeholders:

Lack of Visible Labels: Traditional labels are frequently replaced by placeholders in form fields, which might be troublesome for users who use screen readers. Some users might not be aware of the function of the input area since screen readers might not announce placeholders as labels.

Disappearing Content: The placeholder text typically vanishes after users begin to type in a field. For those with cognitive impairments or memory problems, this could be perplexing since after the placeholder is gone, they might forget the context or goal of the input area.

Lack of Visibility: For users with visual impairments or color vision difficulties, in particular, some placeholders may be difficult to read due to low-contrast implementation or artistic choices.

Zero Programming Identification: Placeholders may not be programmatically linked to the input field since assistive technologies do not normally offer them as form labels. Users of screen readers may become perplexed as a result of this lack of association since they may not be able to determine the function of the input area.

Long Placeholder Text: Long instructions in a placeholder could evaporate rapidly once the user starts typing. Users that need to refer back to the placeholder while filling out the form may find this behavior to be inconvenient.

Overlapping Content: When placeholders and user-entered content overlap, it might be challenging for users to examine or change their contributions. It is advised to utilize placeholders carefully and in conjunction with appropriate form labels to overcome these accessibility issues.

To mitigate these issues here are some remedies one can abide by. They are:
Labels for form fields should always be visible and programmatically related. This makes sure that each input field's function may be correctly identified and announced by screen readers.
Make sure the placeholder text stands out from the user-entered content and has enough contrast. This makes it easier for persons with vision difficulties to distinguish between their input and the placeholder.
Keep placeholder text simple and concise. Avoid giving long instructions that might be misunderstood immediately.
If utilizing placeholders without labels is necessary, think about using the aria-label feature to provide an accessible alternative label for assistive technology.
To develop a permanent placeholder that is still visible after the user begins typing, think about utilizing JavaScript. Users will always be able to access the input field's context in this way.

Browser Support

The placeholder CSS properties were well-supported by modern web browsers, including:

Chrome: CSS placeholder properties are supported by all current major versions of Google Chrome.
Firefox: CSS placeholder properties are supported in all current versions of Mozilla Firefox.
Safari: All current major versions of Safari support the CSS attributes for placeholders.
Microsoft Edge: All current major versions of Edge support the CSS placeholder properties.
Opera: Placeholder CSS attributes are supported by all current major versions of Opera.
Internet Explorer (IE): Internet Explorer only partially supports placeholder CSS properties. It's possible that some versions don't fully support all features or that some attributes need vendor-specific prefixes.

Before relying on particular CSS attributes or capabilities, it is advised to maintain the browsers up to date and check the most recent browser support. Progressive enhancement should be considered while designing websites and web apps so that all users can still have a useful experience, even if some CSS attributes aren't completely supported in some older browsers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, styling placeholders in online forms using CSS can significantly improve user experience by giving users context and instructions when filling up form fields. Overall, when properly implemented, placeholder CSS can improve the usability and aesthetics of web forms, resulting in a more pleasant and effective user experience. You may build inclusive and user-friendly forms for a larger audience by fusing excellent design principles with accessibility considerations.

FAQs

What is a placeholder in CSS?

When an input field or text area element is empty and has no user-entered content, the text that appears inside that element is referred to as a placeholder in CSS. To ensure that they are accessible to all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, placeholders must be used carefully and in conjunction with visible and programmatically related labels.

How to use HTML tags in Placeholder CSS?

Since HTML tags are not supported by the placeholder attribute in CSS, you cannot use HTML tags directly in the placeholder text. Any HTML tags that are present in the placeholder text are ignored and treated as plain text.

What is Placeholder UI?

A placeholder UI is a textual or visual component contained within an input field that acts as a suggestion or an illustration of the desired input. It teaches users how to provide accurate information and what the field's purpose is.