The <textarea> element is a powerful tool for creating a multi-line text input field on a web page. It allows users to input and submit more significant amounts of text than the <input> element, which is limited to a single line of text.

<textarea></textarea>

The <textarea> element consists of an opening <textarea> tag and a closing </textarea> tag. Any text placed between these tags will serve as the default value for the text area.

Attributes

name: specifies the name of the text area, which is used to identify the field when the form is submitted.

<textarea name="feedback"></textarea>

rows and cols: determine the number of visible rows and columns of the text area, respectively. They allow us to specify the width and height of the text area.

<textarea name="feedback" rows="3" cols="30"></textarea>

placeholder: provides a short hint to the user about the expected information in the text area. It is displayed as a temporary placeholder until the user starts typing.

<textarea name="feedback" placeholder="Leave your opinion"></textarea>

maxlength: specifies the maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text area. It helps enforce character limits or restrictions.

<textarea name="feedback" maxlength="200"></textarea>

readonly: readonly attribute, when added to the <textarea> element, makes the field read-only, preventing users from modifying the text. It is useful when displaying pre-filled or non-editable content.

<textarea name="feedback" readonly>This content is read only.</textarea>

Example