{"id":567,"date":"2023-02-28T18:17:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T18:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pc-keeper.tech\/index.php\/2023\/02\/28\/what-you-need-to-know-about-client-side-form-validation\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28T18:17:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T18:17:46","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-client-side-form-validation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pc-keeper.tech\/index.php\/2023\/02\/28\/what-you-need-to-know-about-client-side-form-validation\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know About Client-Side Form Validation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"ClientGo onto any website or e-commerce store, and you\u2019ll notice that almost everyone uses website forms. Whether it\u2019s a checkout form, a booking form, a registration form, or a contact form, businesses are using web forms to streamline their user\u2019s online experiences.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a customer-centric company that wants to create forms for your website, you need to know about client-side form validation. It\u2019s how you can provide users with an efficient, helpful form-filling experience while ensuring that all the data your users submit is secure, consistent, and valid.<\/p>\n

Client-side validation forms are focused on user experience, which is probably why it\u2019s such an important part of creating checkout, registration, and lead generation forms. In fact, web forms are the most highly-utilized and effective lead capture tool according to HubSpot \u2013 they\u2019re used by 74% of marketers and boast high conversion rates.<\/p>\n

To truly understand what client-side form validation is, it helps to understand what form validation is first.<\/p>\n

What is Form Validation?<\/h2>\n
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Let\u2019s say you want to sign up to receive a deal from your favorite online store. To complete the signup process, you\u2019ll have to type your information (name, phone number, address, etc.) into a registration form.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t enter your data correctly, the form will send you what\u2019s called a validation message. Validation messages are often displayed in red above or below the form field.<\/p>\n

Common validation messages include:<\/p>\n

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  • \u201cThis field is required\u201d: This means that you\u2019ve left the field blank).<\/li>\n
  • \u201cPlease enter in format DD\/MM\/YYY\u201d: You\u2019ve entered data in the wrong format.<\/li>\n
  • \u201cYour password should be between 8 and 30 characters long and contain one uppercase letter, one number, and one symbol\u201d: There are strict data format requirements for this field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    So, for example, if a user entered their email address in the wrong format, a validation message might pop up that looks like this:<\/p>\n

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    Form validation messages are configured by developers to alert the user that there\u2019s something wrong with the data they\u2019ve inputted. Good form validation messages let the user know what they can do to fix the problem (e.g, instead of simply saying \u201cinvalid input\u201d, a good validation message might say \u201cplease input phone number in xxx-xxxx format.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Why Form Validation is Important<\/h2>\n
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    Form validation is important for four key reasons:<\/p>\n

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    1. It\u2019s critical to website security<\/strong>: There are lots of ways that malicious users can abuse forms. Unprotected forms are vulnerable to SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting, and much more. Form validation enhances web security and consumer safety by applying strict constraints on valid inputs.<\/li>\n
    2. It prevents human error<\/strong>: Form validation mitigates the risk of users inputting the wrong data (such as the wrong zip code or phone number). Wrongly-inputted data can result in order delays, poor customer service, etc., which is why form validation is crucial for delivering positive customer experiences.<\/li>\n
    3. It protects your users\u2019 data<\/strong>: Form validation for passwords verifies that users are only inputting highly-secure passwords. This protects their account information from data breaches and malicious attacks.<\/li>\n
    4. It enforces data consistency<\/strong>: Freeform data can cause chaos in your database and, at worse, even crash your applications. Form validation is a critical step in creating a foundation for database consistency. And, because you can integrate your forms with your other tools for e-commerce (such as your CRMs and email marketing platforms), you can extend your data consistency even further.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      So, now you know what form validation is, let\u2019s explore it more deeply. There are two types of form validation: server-side validation and client-side validation. While this article will focus on client-side form validation, it helps to have a basic understanding of what server-side form validation is, too.<\/p>\n

      What is Server-Side Form Validation?<\/h2>\n

      As opposed to client-side validation (which is completed in the browser), server-side validation takes place on the server.<\/p>\n

      Once a user submits data into a form, the browser sends this data to the server. The server will then validate the data against the constraints and requirements set by the application.<\/p>\n

      If the data is valid, it will be saved to the database. If it\u2019s invalid, it will be sent back to the browser along with an error message explaining what went wrong.<\/p>\n

      The problem with server-side validation is that it takes time to process. Also, it can only be completed after the user completes the whole form. This means that users must wait until they\u2019ve submitted the entire form to be notified of any errors.<\/p>\n

      If your user has a poor network connection, this can make for a frustrating, tedious experience.<\/p>\n

      So, while server-side form validation is absolutely necessary for protecting your online store from cyber attacks, it doesn\u2019t exactly provide a good experience for your users.<\/p>\n

      The answer? Client-side form validation.<\/p>\n

      So, What is Client-Side Form Validation?<\/h2>\n
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      Client-side form validation occurs on your site\u2019s front end before the browser submits the data to the server. Instead, the browser itself will complete the validation process first, checking the inputted data and providing the user with an immediate response.<\/p>\n

      You can think of client-side form validation as your first line of defense. It protects the integrity of your back end from badly formatted data. And, by providing users with immediate, easy-to-understand custom error messages, you can deliver a better user experience.<\/p>\n

      There are two different ways that you can implement client-side form validation: built-in form validation and JavaScript validation.<\/p>\n

      JavaScript Validation<\/h3>\n

      JavaScript validation is coded using JavaScript and is more customizable than built-in form validation. It gives you more control over the design, feel, and microcopy of your validation messages, allowing you to create forms that express your brand\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

      However, as you can probably guess, validating forms using JavaScript requires pretty extensive coding knowledge and stricter continuous testing processes in response to code changes.<\/p>\n

      For this reason, many developers are turning to built-in form validation instead. Built-in form validation creates better internal workflows and provides simpler, to-the-point forms. In turn, businesses can provide more optimal user experiences.<\/p>\n

      Built-in Form Validation<\/h3>\n

      Built-in form validation uses HTML5 to perform data validation instead of the more traditionally-used JavaScript. It\u2019s well-supported by popular modern browsers (Safari, Firefox, etc.) which makes it a fantastic modern form control for those who aren\u2019t a fan of writing JavaScript code.<\/p>\n

      Its ability to independently validate user data is made possible through the use of validation attributes of the form elements. For example:<\/p>\n