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Floating Label Input

A modern input field where the placeholder smoothly floats up to become a label upon focus.

HTMLCSS

Preview

Use Cases and Features

The floating label is a modern, space-efficient input form UI widely adopted in Material Design and elsewhere.

  • Space-saving: Since it serves as both a label and a placeholder, it saves vertical space even in limited screen areas.

  • Clarity of input: The label remains visible even while the user is typing or after input is completed, ensuring they always know what the field represents without confusion.

  • Refined interactions: The smooth floating animation of the label upon focus effectively gives the user visual feedback that the field is “ready for input.”

Design and UX Insights

  • Placeholder hack: By leveraging the `:placeholder-shown` pseudo-class, we determine the state (whether input has been provided) entirely with CSS, without using any JavaScript. (*Note: The `placeholder=” ”` attribute in the HTML is a strict requirement for this to work.)

  • Maintaining visibility: When the label floats up, we reduce its text size (`scale(0.75)`) while making it bold (`font-weight: 500`) and applying the theme color to ensure it remains legible.

  • Accessibility: Linking the label element’s for attribute to the input element’s id supports screen readers and focus shifting when the label is clicked. We also apply `pointer-events: none` so the label doesn’t interfere with user interactions.

Customization Guide

You can adjust the following points to match your project’s design system:

  • Coloring: Change the color of `.fli-input:focus` and `.fli-input:focus ~ .fli-label` (currently `#6366f1`) to your brand color.

  • Border radius and shadows: By modifying the border-radius and box-shadow of `.fli-input`, you can create a flatter design or a rounder, more playful look.

  • Font size: If you adjust the label’s font size or scaling factor (`scale(0.75)`), be sure to tweak the padding of `.fli-input` (especially the top padding) to prevent the label from overlapping the input text.

Implementation Code

<div class="fli-group">

<input type="text" id="username" class="fli-input" placeholder=" " required />

<label for="username" class="fli-label">username</label>

</div>



<style>
.fli-group {

position: relative;

width: 100%;

max-width: 320px;

}



.fli-input {

width: 100%;

padding: 1.5rem 1.25rem 0.5rem;

font-size: 1rem;

font-family: inherit;

color: #0f172a;

background-color: #ffffff;

border: 2px solid #e2e8f0;

border-radius: 0.75rem;

outline: none;

box-sizing: border-box;

transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);

box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05), 0 2px 4px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03);

}



.fli-input:hover {

border-color: #cbd5e1;

box-shadow: 0 10px 15px -3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05), 0 4px 6px -2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.025);

}



.fli-input:focus {

border-color: #6366f1;

box-shadow: 0 0 0 4px rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.15);

background-color: #ffffff;

}



.fli-label {

position: absolute;

top: 1.1rem;

left: 1.25rem;

font-size: 1rem;

color: #64748b;

pointer-events: none;

transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);

transform-origin: left top;

}



/* Inputting or completed status */

.fli-input:focus ~ .fli-label,

.fli-input:not(:placeholder-shown) ~ .fli-label {

transform: translateY(-0.6rem) scale(0.75);

color: #6366f1;

font-weight: 500;

}



/* Out of focus but still input */

.fli-input:not(:focus):not(:placeholder-shown) ~ .fli-label {

color: #475569;

}
</style>

Browser Support

  • Chrome: Latest version

  • Safari: Latest version

  • Firefox: Latest version

  • Edge: Latest version

The `:placeholder-shown` pseudo-class is supported in all modern browsers and is safe to use.