# Forms

URL: https://ark-ui.com/docs/guides/forms
LLM: https://ark-ui.com/llms.txt/guides/forms

A guide to building forms with Ark UI components.

---

Ark UI provides the `Field` and `Fieldset` components for integrating with native `form` element or popular form
libraries like [React Hook Form](https://react-hook-form.com/), [TanStack Form](https://tanstack.com/form/latest), and
[Vee Validate](https://vee-validate.logaretm.com).

## Field Context

Form components in Ark UI automatically integrate with `Field` through context. When nested inside a `Field.Root`, they
inherit `disabled`, `invalid`, `required`, and `readOnly` states automatically.

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'
import { NumberInput } from '@ark-ui/react/number-input'

const Demo = () => (
  <Field.Root disabled>
    <NumberInput.Root /> {/* NumberInput will be disabled */}
  </Field.Root>
)
```

### Accessible Labels

When building accessible forms, you need to ensure that they are properly labeled and described.

- `Field.Label`: Used to provide an accessible label the input.
- `Field.HelperText`: Used to provide additional instructions about the input.

These components are automatically linked to the input element via the `aria-describedby` attribute.

> **Best practice**: Make sure that labels are visible (and not just used as placeholders) for screen readers to read
> them.

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'

const Demo = () => (
  <form>
    <Field.Root>
      <Field.Label>Username</Field.Label>
      <Field.Input placeholder="Enter your username" />
      <Field.HelperText>This will be your public display name.</Field.HelperText>
    </Field.Root>
  </form>
)
```

### Error Handling and Validation

When the input is invalid, you can use the `Field.ErrorText` component to provide an error message for the input, and
pass the `invalid` prop to the `Field.Root` component.

> **Best practice**: Make sure to provide clear, specific error messages that are easy to understand and fix.

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'

const Demo = () => (
  <form>
    <Field.Root invalid>
      <Field.Label>Username</Field.Label>
      <Field.Input placeholder="Enter your username" />
      <Field.ErrorText>Username is required.</Field.ErrorText>
    </Field.Root>
  </form>
)
```

### Required Fields

To indicate that a field is required, you can pass the `required` prop to the `Field.Root` component. Optionally, you
can use the `Field.RequiredIndicator` component to indicate that the field is required.

> **Best practice**: Don't rely solely on color to indicate required status

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'

export const Demo = () => (
  <form>
    <Field.Root required>
      <Field.Label>
        Username
        <Field.RequiredIndicator>(required)</Field.RequiredIndicator>
      </Field.Label>
      <Field.Input placeholder="Enter your username" />
      <Field.ErrorText>Username is required.</Field.ErrorText>
    </Field.Root>
  </form>
)
```

To indicate that a field is optional, use the `fallback` prop on the `Field.RequiredIndicator` component.

```tsx
<Field.RequiredIndicator fallback="Optional">(required)</Field.RequiredIndicator>
```

### Native Controls

Field supports native HTML form controls including `input`, `textarea`, and `select`:

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'

const Demo = () => (
  <form>
    {/* Input */}
    <Field.Root>
      <Field.Label>Email</Field.Label>
      <Field.Input type="email" placeholder="you@example.com" />
    </Field.Root>

    {/* Textarea */}
    <Field.Root>
      <Field.Label>Bio</Field.Label>
      <Field.Textarea placeholder="Tell us about yourself" />
    </Field.Root>

    {/* Select */}
    <Field.Root>
      <Field.Label>Country</Field.Label>
      <Field.Select>
        <option value="us">United States</option>
        <option value="uk">United Kingdom</option>
        <option value="de">Germany</option>
      </Field.Select>
    </Field.Root>
  </form>
)
```

### Form Reset

When the `reset` event is triggered on a form, all Ark UI components automatically sync their internal state with the
form's reset values.

> **Note**: For this to work correctly, always include the `HiddenInput` component in your form controls. The hidden
> input participates in the native form reset mechanism, and Ark UI listens for this to sync the component state.

```tsx
import { Checkbox } from '@ark-ui/react/checkbox'

const Demo = () => {
  return (
    <form>
      <Checkbox.Root name="terms" defaultChecked>
        <Checkbox.Label>I agree to the terms</Checkbox.Label>
        <Checkbox.Control>
          <Checkbox.Indicator />
        </Checkbox.Control>
        <Checkbox.HiddenInput />
      </Checkbox.Root>

      {/* Clicking reset will restore checkbox to defaultChecked state */}
      <button type="reset">Reset</button>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  )
}
```

## Fieldset Context

When you have multiple fields in a form or a component that renders multiple `input` elements, you can use the
`Fieldset` component to group them together.

Common use cases checkbox group, radio group, input + select composition, etc.

### Checkbox Group

```tsx
import { Fieldset } from '@ark-ui/react/fieldset'
import { Checkbox } from '@ark-ui/react/checkbox'
import { CheckIcon } from 'lucide-react'

const items = [
  { label: 'React', value: 'react' },
  { label: 'Solid', value: 'solid' },
  { label: 'Vue', value: 'vue' },
  { label: 'Svelte', value: 'svelte' },
]

const Demo = () => (
  <Fieldset.Root>
    <Fieldset.Legend>Frameworks</Fieldset.Legend>
    <Checkbox.Group name="framework">
      {items.map((item) => (
        <Checkbox.Root value={item.value} key={item.value} />
      ))}
    </Checkbox.Group>
    <Fieldset.HelperText>Choose your preferred frameworks</Fieldset.HelperText>
  </Fieldset.Root>
)
```

### Radio Group

```tsx
import { Fieldset } from '@ark-ui/react/fieldset'
import { RadioGroup } from '@ark-ui/react/radio-group'
import { RadioIcon } from 'lucide-react'

const items = [
  { label: 'React', value: 'react' },
  { label: 'Solid', value: 'solid' },
  { label: 'Vue', value: 'vue' },
  { label: 'Svelte', value: 'svelte' },
]

const Demo = () => (
  <Fieldset.Root>
    <Fieldset.Legend>Frameworks</Fieldset.Legend>
    <RadioGroup.Root name="framework">
      {items.map((item) => (
        <RadioGroup.Item value={item.value} key={item.value} />
      ))}
    </RadioGroup.Root>
    <Fieldset.HelperText>Choose your preferred framework</Fieldset.HelperText>
  </Fieldset.Root>
)
```

## React Hook Form

Ark UI integrates seamlessly with React Hook Form. Use the `register` function for simple inputs and `Controller` for
complex components.

### Native Controls

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'
import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form'

interface FormValues {
  firstName: string
  email: string
}

const Demo = () => {
  const {
    register,
    handleSubmit,
    formState: { errors },
  } = useForm<FormValues>()

  const onSubmit = (data: FormValues) => console.log(data)

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <Field.Root invalid={!!errors.firstName}>
        <Field.Label>First Name</Field.Label>
        <Field.Input {...register('firstName', { required: 'First name is required' })} />
        <Field.ErrorText>{errors.firstName?.message}</Field.ErrorText>
      </Field.Root>

      <Field.Root invalid={!!errors.email}>
        <Field.Label>Email</Field.Label>
        <Field.Input
          {...register('email', {
            required: 'Email is required',
            pattern: { value: /^\S+@\S+$/i, message: 'Invalid email address' },
          })}
        />
        <Field.ErrorText>{errors.email?.message}</Field.ErrorText>
      </Field.Root>

      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  )
}
```

### Custom Components

Use the `Controller` hook to integrate custom form components like select or combobox.

> **Best practice**: To ensure `react-hook-form` moves focus to invalid field control when performing validation,
> forward the field's `ref` to the respective Ark UI component.

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'
import { Select, createListCollection } from '@ark-ui/react/select'
import { Controller, useForm } from 'react-hook-form'

const Demo = () => {
  const { control, handleSubmit } = useForm({
    defaultValues: { framework: '' },
  })

  const collection = createListCollection({
    items: ['React', 'Solid', 'Vue', 'Svelte'],
  })

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit((data) => console.log(data))}>
      <Controller
        name="framework"
        control={control}
        rules={{ required: 'Please select a framework' }}
        render={({
          field: { name, ref, value, onBlur, onChange },
          fieldState: { invalid, isTouched, isDirty, error },
        }) => (
          <Field.Root invalid={invalid}>
            <Select.Root
              name={name}
              collection={collection}
              value={value ? [value] : []}
              onValueChange={(e) => onChange(e.value[0])}
              onInteractOutside={() => onBlur()}
            >
              <Select.Label>Framework</Select.Label>
              <Select.Control>
                <Select.Trigger ref={ref}>
                  <Select.ValueText placeholder="Select a Framework" />
                </Select.Trigger>
              </Select.Control>
              <Select.Positioner>
                <Select.Content>
                  {collection.items.map((item) => (
                    <Select.Item key={item} item={item}>
                      <Select.ItemText>{item}</Select.ItemText>
                    </Select.Item>
                  ))}
                </Select.Content>
              </Select.Positioner>
              <Select.HiddenSelect />
            </Select.Root>
            <Field.ErrorText>{error?.message}</Field.ErrorText>
          </Field.Root>
        )}
      />
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  )
}
```

## TanStack Form

TanStack Form provides powerful form state management that works well with Ark UI.

### Native Controls

```tsx
import { useForm } from '@tanstack/react-form'

const form = useForm({
  defaultValues: { firstName: '' },
})

const Demo = () => (
  <form onSubmit={form.handleSubmit}>
    <form.Field
      name="firstName"
      children={(field) => (
        <Field.Root
          name={field.name}
          invalid={!field.state.meta.isValid}
          dirty={field.state.meta.isDirty}
          touched={field.state.meta.isTouched}
        >
          <Field.Label>First Name</Field.Label>
          <Field.Input
            value={field.state.value}
            onChange={(e) => field.handleChange(e.target.value)}
            onBlur={field.handleBlur}
          />
          <Field.ErrorText match={!field.state.meta.isValid}>{field.state.meta.errors.join(',')}</Field.ErrorText>
        </Field.Root>
      )}
    />
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
  </form>
)
```

### Custom Components

Here's an example of how to integrate custom components like the select or combobox with Tanstack's `form.Field`
component.

```tsx
import { Field } from '@ark-ui/react/field'
import { Select, createListCollection } from '@ark-ui/react/select'
import { useForm } from '@tanstack/react-form'

const Demo = () => {
  const form = useForm({
    defaultValues: { username: '' },
  })

  const collection = createListCollection({
    items: ['React', 'Solid', 'Vue', 'Svelte'],
  })

  return (
    <form
      onSubmit={(e) => {
        e.preventDefault()
        e.stopPropagation()
        form.handleSubmit()
      }}
    >
      <form.Field
        name="username"
        validators={{
          onChange: ({ value }) => (value.length < 3 ? 'Username must be at least 3 characters' : undefined),
        }}
        children={(field) => (
          <Field.Root invalid={field.state.meta.errors.length > 0}>
            <Field.Label>Username</Field.Label>
            <Select.Root
              name={field.name}
              collection={collection}
              value={field.state.value ? [field.state.value] : []}
              onValueChange={(e) => field.handleChange(e.value[0])}
              onInteractOutside={() => field.handleBlur()}
            >
              <Select.Label>Username</Select.Label>
              <Select.Control>
                <Select.Trigger>
                  <Select.ValueText placeholder="Enter your username" />
                </Select.Trigger>
              </Select.Control>
              <Select.Positioner>
                <Select.Content>
                  {collection.items.map((item) => (
                    <Select.Item key={item} item={item}>
                      <Select.ItemText>{item}</Select.ItemText>
                    </Select.Item>
                  ))}
                </Select.Content>
              </Select.Positioner>
              <Select.HiddenSelect />
            </Select.Root>
          </Field.Root>
        )}
      />
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  )
}
```