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:
- Always use
<form role="form">(helps improve accessibility for people using screen readers) - Wrap labels and form controls in
<div class="form-group">(needed for optimum spacing) - Add class
.form-controlto all textual<input>,<textarea>, and<select>elements
Bootstrap Vertical Form (default)
The following example creates a vertical form with two input fields, one checkbox, and a submit button:
Example
<form role="form">
<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>
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Bootstrap Inline Form
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-inlineto the<form>element
The following example creates an inline form with two input fields, one checkbox, and one submit button:
Example
<form class="form-inline" role="form">
<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>
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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:
Example
<form class="form-inline" role="form">
<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>
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Bootstrap Horizontal Form
A horizontal form stands apart from the other forms both in the amount of markup, and in the presentation of the form.
Additional rules for a horizontal form:
- Add class
.form-horizontalto the<form>element - Add class
.control-labelto all<label>elements
Tip: Use Bootstrap's predefined grid classes to align labels and groups of form controls in a horizontal layout.
The following example creates a horizontal form with two input fields, one checkbox, and one submit button:
Example
<form class="form-horizontal" role="form">
<div
class="form-group">
<label class="control-label
col-sm-2" for="email">Email:</label>
<div
class="col-sm-10">
<input type="email"
class="form-control" id="email" placeholder="Enter email">
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
<label class="control-label col-sm-2" for="pwd">Password:</label>
<div class="col-sm-10">
<input
type="password" class="form-control" id="pwd" placeholder="Enter password">
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
<div class="col-sm-offset-2 col-sm-10">
<div class="checkbox">
<label><input type="checkbox"> Remember me</label>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div
class="form-group">
<div class="col-sm-offset-2
col-sm-10">
<button type="submit" class="btn
btn-default">Submit</button>
</div>
</div>
</form>
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