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React Hook Form

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Build forms in React using React Hook Form and Zod.

Docs

In this guide, we will take a look at building forms with React Hook Form. We'll cover building forms with the <Field /> component, adding schema validation using Zod, error handling, accessibility, and more.

Demo

We are going to build the following form. It has a simple text input and a textarea. On submit, we'll validate the form data and display any errors.

Approach

This form leverages React Hook Form for performant, flexible form handling. We'll build our form using the <Field /> component, which gives you complete flexibility over the markup and styling.

  • Uses React Hook Form's useForm hook for form state management.
  • <Controller /> component for controlled inputs.
  • <Field /> components for building accessible forms.
  • Client-side validation using Zod with zodResolver.

Anatomy

Here's a basic example of a form using the <Controller /> component from React Hook Form and the <Field /> component.

<Controller
  name="title"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldLabel htmlFor={field.name}>Bug Title</FieldLabel>
      <Input
        {...field}
        id={field.name}
        aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
        placeholder="Login button not working on mobile"
        autoComplete="off"
      />
      <FieldDescription>
        Provide a concise title for your bug report.
      </FieldDescription>
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Form

Create a form schema

We'll start by defining the shape of our form using a Zod schema

form.tsx
import * as z from "zod"
 
const formSchema = z.object({
  title: z
    .string()
    .min(5, "Bug title must be at least 5 characters.")
    .max(32, "Bug title must be at most 32 characters."),
  description: z
    .string()
    .min(20, "Description must be at least 20 characters.")
    .max(100, "Description must be at most 100 characters."),
})

Setup the form

Next, we'll use the useForm hook from React Hook Form to create our form instance. We'll also add the Zod resolver to validate the form data.

form.tsx
import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod"
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form"
import * as z from "zod"
 
const formSchema = z.object({
  title: z
    .string()
    .min(5, "Bug title must be at least 5 characters.")
    .max(32, "Bug title must be at most 32 characters."),
  description: z
    .string()
    .min(20, "Description must be at least 20 characters.")
    .max(100, "Description must be at most 100 characters."),
})
 
export function BugReportForm() {
  const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
    resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
    defaultValues: {
      title: "",
      description: "",
    },
  })
 
  function onSubmit(data: z.infer<typeof formSchema>) {
    // Do something with the form values.
    console.log(data)
  }
 
  return (
    <form onSubmit={form.handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      {/* ... */}
      {/* Build the form here */}
      {/* ... */}
    </form>
  )
}

Build the form

We can now build the form using the <Controller /> component from React Hook Form and the <Field /> component.

form.tsx
"use client"

import * as React from "react"
import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod"
import { Controller, useForm } from "react-hook-form"
import { toast } from "sonner"
import * as z from "zod"

import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import {
  Card,
  CardContent,
  CardDescription,
  CardFooter,
  CardHeader,
  CardTitle,
} from "@/components/ui/card"
import {
  Field,
  FieldDescription,
  FieldError,
  FieldGroup,
  FieldLabel,
} from "@/components/ui/field"
import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input"
import {
  InputGroup,
  InputGroupAddon,
  InputGroupText,
  InputGroupTextarea,
} from "@/components/ui/input-group"

const formSchema = z.object({
  title: z
    .string()
    .min(5, "Bug title must be at least 5 characters.")
    .max(32, "Bug title must be at most 32 characters."),
  description: z
    .string()
    .min(20, "Description must be at least 20 characters.")
    .max(100, "Description must be at most 100 characters."),
})

export function BugReportForm() {
  const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
    resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
    defaultValues: {
      title: "",
      description: "",
    },
  })

  function onSubmit(data: z.infer<typeof formSchema>) {
    toast("You submitted the following values:", {
      description: (
        <pre className="bg-code text-code-foreground mt-2 w-[320px] overflow-x-auto rounded-md p-4">
          <code>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</code>
        </pre>
      ),
      position: "bottom-right",
      classNames: {
        content: "flex flex-col gap-2",
      },
      style: {
        "--border-radius": "calc(var(--radius)  + 4px)",
      } as React.CSSProperties,
    })
  }

  return (
    <Card className="w-full sm:max-w-md">
      <CardHeader>
        <CardTitle>Bug Report</CardTitle>
        <CardDescription>
          Help us improve by reporting bugs you encounter.
        </CardDescription>
      </CardHeader>
      <CardContent>
        <form id="form-rhf-demo" onSubmit={form.handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
          <FieldGroup>
            <Controller
              name="title"
              control={form.control}
              render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
                <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
                  <FieldLabel htmlFor="form-rhf-demo-title">
                    Bug Title
                  </FieldLabel>
                  <Input
                    {...field}
                    id="form-rhf-demo-title"
                    aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
                    placeholder="Login button not working on mobile"
                    autoComplete="off"
                  />
                  {fieldState.invalid && (
                    <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />
                  )}
                </Field>
              )}
            />
            <Controller
              name="description"
              control={form.control}
              render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
                <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
                  <FieldLabel htmlFor="form-rhf-demo-description">
                    Description
                  </FieldLabel>
                  <InputGroup>
                    <InputGroupTextarea
                      {...field}
                      id="form-rhf-demo-description"
                      placeholder="I'm having an issue with the login button on mobile."
                      rows={6}
                      className="min-h-24 resize-none"
                      aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
                    />
                    <InputGroupAddon align="block-end">
                      <InputGroupText className="tabular-nums">
                        {field.value.length}/100 characters
                      </InputGroupText>
                    </InputGroupAddon>
                  </InputGroup>
                  <FieldDescription>
                    Include steps to reproduce, expected behavior, and what
                    actually happened.
                  </FieldDescription>
                  {fieldState.invalid && (
                    <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />
                  )}
                </Field>
              )}
            />
          </FieldGroup>
        </form>
      </CardContent>
      <CardFooter>
        <Field orientation="horizontal">
          <Button type="button" variant="outline" onClick={() => form.reset()}>
            Reset
          </Button>
          <Button type="submit" form="form-rhf-demo">
            Submit
          </Button>
        </Field>
      </CardFooter>
    </Card>
  )
}

Done

That's it. You now have a fully accessible form with client-side validation.

When you submit the form, the onSubmit function will be called with the validated form data. If the form data is invalid, React Hook Form will display the errors next to each field.

Validation

Client-side Validation

React Hook Form validates your form data using the Zod schema. Define a schema and pass it to the resolver option of the useForm hook.

example-form.tsx
import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod"
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form"
import * as z from "zod"
 
const formSchema = z.object({
  title: z.string(),
  description: z.string().optional(),
})
 
export function ExampleForm() {
  const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
    resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
    defaultValues: {
      title: "",
      description: "",
    },
  })
}

Validation Modes

React Hook Form supports different validation modes.

form.tsx
const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
  resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
  mode: "onChange",
})
ModeDescription
"onChange"Validation triggers on every change.
"onBlur"Validation triggers on blur.
"onSubmit"Validation triggers on submit (default).
"onTouched"Validation triggers on first blur, then on every change.
"all"Validation triggers on blur and change.

Displaying Errors

Display errors next to the field using <FieldError />. For styling and accessibility:

  • Add the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.
  • Add the aria-invalid prop to the form control such as <Input />, <SelectTrigger />, <Checkbox />, etc.
form.tsx
<Controller
  name="email"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldLabel htmlFor={field.name}>Email</FieldLabel>
      <Input
        {...field}
        id={field.name}
        type="email"
        aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
      />
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Working with Different Field Types

Input

  • For input fields, spread the field object onto the <Input /> component.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <Input /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.

For simple text inputs, spread the field object onto the input.

form.tsx
<Controller
  name="name"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldLabel htmlFor={field.name}>Name</FieldLabel>
      <Input {...field} id={field.name} aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid} />
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Textarea

  • For textarea fields, spread the field object onto the <Textarea /> component.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <Textarea /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.

For textarea fields, spread the field object onto the textarea.

form.tsx
<Controller
  name="about"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldLabel htmlFor="form-rhf-textarea-about">More about you</FieldLabel>
      <Textarea
        {...field}
        id="form-rhf-textarea-about"
        aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
        placeholder="I'm a software engineer..."
        className="min-h-[120px]"
      />
      <FieldDescription>
        Tell us more about yourself. This will be used to help us personalize
        your experience.
      </FieldDescription>
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Select

  • For select components, use field.value and field.onChange on the <Select /> component.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <SelectTrigger /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.
form.tsx
<Controller
  name="language"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field orientation="responsive" data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldContent>
        <FieldLabel htmlFor="form-rhf-select-language">
          Spoken Language
        </FieldLabel>
        <FieldDescription>
          For best results, select the language you speak.
        </FieldDescription>
        {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
      </FieldContent>
      <Select
        name={field.name}
        value={field.value}
        onValueChange={field.onChange}
      >
        <SelectTrigger
          id="form-rhf-select-language"
          aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
          className="min-w-[120px]"
        >
          <SelectValue placeholder="Select" />
        </SelectTrigger>
        <SelectContent position="item-aligned">
          <SelectItem value="auto">Auto</SelectItem>
          <SelectItem value="en">English</SelectItem>
        </SelectContent>
      </Select>
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Checkbox

  • For checkbox arrays, use field.value and field.onChange with array manipulation.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <Checkbox /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.
  • Remember to add data-slot="checkbox-group" to the <FieldGroup /> component for proper styling and spacing.
form.tsx
<Controller
  name="tasks"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <FieldSet>
      <FieldLegend variant="label">Tasks</FieldLegend>
      <FieldDescription>
        Get notified when tasks you&apos;ve created have updates.
      </FieldDescription>
      <FieldGroup data-slot="checkbox-group">
        {tasks.map((task) => (
          <Field
            key={task.id}
            orientation="horizontal"
            data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
          >
            <Checkbox
              id={`form-rhf-checkbox-${task.id}`}
              name={field.name}
              aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
              checked={field.value.includes(task.id)}
              onCheckedChange={(checked) => {
                const newValue = checked
                  ? [...field.value, task.id]
                  : field.value.filter((value) => value !== task.id)
                field.onChange(newValue)
              }}
            />
            <FieldLabel
              htmlFor={`form-rhf-checkbox-${task.id}`}
              className="font-normal"
            >
              {task.label}
            </FieldLabel>
          </Field>
        ))}
      </FieldGroup>
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </FieldSet>
  )}
/>

Radio Group

  • For radio groups, use field.value and field.onChange on the <RadioGroup /> component.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <RadioGroupItem /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.
form.tsx
<Controller
  name="plan"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <FieldSet>
      <FieldLegend>Plan</FieldLegend>
      <FieldDescription>
        You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.
      </FieldDescription>
      <RadioGroup
        name={field.name}
        value={field.value}
        onValueChange={field.onChange}
      >
        {plans.map((plan) => (
          <FieldLabel key={plan.id} htmlFor={`form-rhf-radiogroup-${plan.id}`}>
            <Field orientation="horizontal" data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
              <FieldContent>
                <FieldTitle>{plan.title}</FieldTitle>
                <FieldDescription>{plan.description}</FieldDescription>
              </FieldContent>
              <RadioGroupItem
                value={plan.id}
                id={`form-rhf-radiogroup-${plan.id}`}
                aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
              />
            </Field>
          </FieldLabel>
        ))}
      </RadioGroup>
      {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
    </FieldSet>
  )}
/>

Switch

  • For switches, use field.value and field.onChange on the <Switch /> component.
  • To show errors, add the aria-invalid prop to the <Switch /> component and the data-invalid prop to the <Field /> component.
form.tsx
<Controller
  name="twoFactor"
  control={form.control}
  render={({ field, fieldState }) => (
    <Field orientation="horizontal" data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
      <FieldContent>
        <FieldLabel htmlFor="form-rhf-switch-twoFactor">
          Multi-factor authentication
        </FieldLabel>
        <FieldDescription>
          Enable multi-factor authentication to secure your account.
        </FieldDescription>
        {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
      </FieldContent>
      <Switch
        id="form-rhf-switch-twoFactor"
        name={field.name}
        checked={field.value}
        onCheckedChange={field.onChange}
        aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
      />
    </Field>
  )}
/>

Complex Forms

Here is an example of a more complex form with multiple fields and validation.

Resetting the Form

Use form.reset() to reset the form to its default values.

<Button type="button" variant="outline" onClick={() => form.reset()}>
  Reset
</Button>

Array Fields

React Hook Form provides a useFieldArray hook for managing dynamic array fields. This is useful when you need to add or remove fields dynamically.

Using useFieldArray

Use the useFieldArray hook to manage array fields. It provides fields, append, and remove methods.

form.tsx
import { useFieldArray, useForm } from "react-hook-form"
 
export function ExampleForm() {
  const form = useForm({
    // ... form config
  })
 
  const { fields, append, remove } = useFieldArray({
    control: form.control,
    name: "emails",
  })
}

Array Field Structure

Wrap your array fields in a <FieldSet /> with a <FieldLegend /> and <FieldDescription />.

form.tsx
<FieldSet className="gap-4">
  <FieldLegend variant="label">Email Addresses</FieldLegend>
  <FieldDescription>
    Add up to 5 email addresses where we can contact you.
  </FieldDescription>
  <FieldGroup className="gap-4">{/* Array items go here */}</FieldGroup>
</FieldSet>

Controller Pattern for Array Items

Map over the fields array and use <Controller /> for each item. Make sure to use field.id as the key.

form.tsx
{
  fields.map((field, index) => (
    <Controller
      key={field.id}
      name={`emails.${index}.address`}
      control={form.control}
      render={({ field: controllerField, fieldState }) => (
        <Field orientation="horizontal" data-invalid={fieldState.invalid}>
          <FieldContent>
            <InputGroup>
              <InputGroupInput
                {...controllerField}
                id={`form-rhf-array-email-${index}`}
                aria-invalid={fieldState.invalid}
                placeholder="name@example.com"
                type="email"
                autoComplete="email"
              />
              {/* Remove button */}
            </InputGroup>
            {fieldState.invalid && <FieldError errors={[fieldState.error]} />}
          </FieldContent>
        </Field>
      )}
    />
  ))
}

Adding Items

Use the append method to add new items to the array.

form.tsx
<Button
  type="button"
  variant="outline"
  size="sm"
  onClick={() => append({ address: "" })}
  disabled={fields.length >= 5}
>
  Add Email Address
</Button>

Removing Items

Use the remove method to remove items from the array. Add the remove button conditionally.

form.tsx
{
  fields.length > 1 && (
    <InputGroupAddon align="inline-end">
      <InputGroupButton
        type="button"
        variant="ghost"
        size="icon-xs"
        onClick={() => remove(index)}
        aria-label={`Remove email ${index + 1}`}
      >
        <XIcon />
      </InputGroupButton>
    </InputGroupAddon>
  )
}

Array Validation

Use Zod's array method to validate array fields.

form.tsx
const formSchema = z.object({
  emails: z
    .array(
      z.object({
        address: z.string().email("Enter a valid email address."),
      })
    )
    .min(1, "Add at least one email address.")
    .max(5, "You can add up to 5 email addresses."),
})