You may have seen a short HTML attribute change how a field, image, or link behaves. This guide is about Enterkeyhint Values: Enter, Done, Go, Next, Previous, Search, Send. The enterkeyhint attribute hints what label or symbol a mobile keyboard should show on its Enter key.
The useful question is not simply “Which value should I memorize?” It is “What should people be able to do on this page?” First decide the goal, then choose an HTML value that matches it.
How the values work
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
enter | General Enter action. |
done | Suggest finishing input. |
go | Suggest opening a destination. |
next | Suggest moving to the next field. |
previous | Suggest moving to the previous field. |
search | Suggest starting a search. |
send | Suggest sending a message. |
A practical example
<form action="/search" method="get" role="search">
<label for="query">Search lessons</label>
<input id="query" name="query" type="search" enterkeyhint="search">
<button type="submit">Search</button>
</form>Understanding the code
Start by finding the attribute in the example. The HTML element tells the browser what kind of thing it is displaying; the attribute supplies an extra instruction or hint about that particular element. If you remove the attribute, the element usually still exists, but one part of its behavior may change.
This is a visual keyboard hint; it does not change what pressing Enter actually does. The form still needs a working submit destination.
If a file path or form action appears in the code, it is an example project path. Create the matching file or server endpoint before expecting the complete behavior to work. This distinction is important: HTML describes the page, but it does not automatically build a server or create missing resources.
When to use it
Use enterkeyhint only where its documented behavior helps someone complete a task. Ask whether the choice improves clarity, keyboard access, performance, or correct data collection. If an extra attribute has no clear purpose, leaving it out may be safer than relying on a poorly understood hint.
Try it yourself
Change the hint to send on a message field and check a supporting phone keyboard.
Save the code in a local HTML file, open it in a current browser, and inspect the relevant control or request. When the feature depends on a server, use a small local development server rather than guessing from the source alone.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Expecting enterkeyhint="next" to create keyboard focus movement automatically.
- Assuming every browser provides identical controls or follows a hint in exactly the same way.
- Copying a demonstration without providing the files or server behavior it expects.
Key Takeaways
- Use semantic controls to define behavior; enterkeyhint only improves the keyboard label.
- Choose the value based on what the visitor needs to do, not only on how the source looks.
- Test the result in the browser, including keyboard access and submitted values where relevant.