Bootstrap Forms

Bootstrap's Default Settings

Form controls automatically receive some global styling with Bootstrap:

All textual <input>, <textarea>, and <select> elements with class .form-control have a width of 100%.

Bootstrap Form Layouts

Bootstrap provides three types of form layouts:

• Vertical form (this is default)
• Horizontal form
• Inline form

Standard rules for all three form layouts:

• Wrap labels and form controls in <div class="form-group"> (needed for optimum spacing)
• Add class .form-control to all textual <input>, <textarea>, and <select> elements

<form action="/action_page.php">

  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="email">Email address:</label>
    <input type="email" class="form-control" id="email">
  </div>
  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="pwd">Password:</label>
    <input type="password" class="form-control" id="pwd">
  </div>
  <div class="checkbox">
    <label><input type="checkbox"> Remember me</label>
  </div>
  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default">Submit</button>
</form>

Bootstrap Inline Form

Email: 

 

Password: 

 

 Remember me

 

In an inline form, all of the elements are inline, left-aligned, and the labels are alongside.

Note: This only applies to forms within viewports that are at least 768px wide!

Additional rule for an inline form:

• Add class .form-inline to the <form> element

The following example creates an inline form with two input fields, one checkbox, and one submit button:

<form class="form-inline" action="/action_page.php">
  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="email">Email address:</label>
    <input type="email" class="form-control" id="email">
  </div>
  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="pwd">Password:</label>
    <input type="password" class="form-control" id="pwd">
  </div>
  <div class="checkbox">
    <label><input type="checkbox"> Remember me</label>
  </div>
  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default">Submit</button>
</form>

Tip: If you don't include a label for every input, screen readers will have trouble with your forms. You can hide the labels for all devices, except screen readers, by using the .sr-only class:

<form class="form-inline" action="/action_page.php">
  <div class="form-group">
    <label class="sr-only" for="email">Email address:</label>
    <input type="email" class="form-control" id="email">
  </div>
  <div class="form-group">
    <label class="sr-only" for="pwd">Password:</label>
    <input type="password" class="form-control" id="pwd">
  </div>
  <div class="checkbox">
    <label><input type="checkbox"> Remember me</label>
  </div>
  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default">Submit</button>
</form>