---
title: Helpers
seoTitle: Form helpers
order: 4
summary: "Form helpers add information around a field: a help popover, a required marker, a hint below the field and extra text in the label."
description: Add help icons, hints, and required field markers to forms to give users extra guidance and reduce input errors.
related: [/ui/forms/elements, /ui/components/popover]
---
import FormText from '@ui/FormText.astro';
import Example from '@components/Example.astro';

## Input help

Use an input helper to display additional information about a form element. The text label will appear once a user hovers over the helper. To add an input helper, use the `.form-help` class.

```html
<span
  class="form-help"
  data-bs-toggle="popover"
  data-bs-placement="top"
  data-bs-html="true"
  data-bs-content="<p>...</p>"
  >?</span
>
```

<Example column>
<div>
  <label class="form-label" for="helper-zip"> ZIP Code <span class="form-help" data-bs-toggle="popover" data-bs-placement="top" data-bs-html="true" data-bs-content="<p>ZIP Code must be US or CDN format. You can use an extended ZIP+4 code to determine address more accurately.</p><p class='mb-0'><a href=''>USP ZIP codes lookup tools</a></p>"> ? </span> </label>
  <input type="text" id="helper-zip" class="form-control" placeholder="Your ZIP Code" />
</div>
</Example>

## Required field

Use the `.required` class to indicate that a field is required. It will add a red asterisk to the label. The class only draws the asterisk, so put the `required` attribute on the field as well - that is what a screen reader and the browser's own validation read.

<Example column>
<div>
  <label class="form-label required" for="helper-required">Required</label>
  <input type="text" id="helper-required" class="form-control" name="..." placeholder="Required..." required />
</div>
</Example>

## Form hint

Use helper text to give the user more information about a form element. The text appears below the field. To add it, use the `.form-text` class. The older `.form-hint` class still works as a deprecated alias. Give the hint an `id` and point the field at it with `aria-describedby`, so the hint is read together with the field.

```html
<div class="form-text">We'll never share your email with anyone else.</div>
```

<Example column>
<div>
  <label class="form-label" for="helper-email">Email address</label>
  <input type="email" id="helper-email" class="form-control" placeholder="Enter your email address" aria-describedby="helper-email-hint" />
  <FormText id="helper-email-hint">We'll never share your email with anyone else.</FormText>
</div>
</Example>

## Additional info inside label

Use the `.form-label-description` class to add additional information to the label. The text will appear next to the label. You can use it to add for example a character counter.

<Example column>
<div>
  <label class="form-label"> Textarea <span class="form-label-description">56/100</span> </label>
  <textarea class="form-control" name="" rows="3" placeholder="Content.."></textarea>
</div>
</Example>

## Accessibility

- Give the hint an `id` and point the field at it with `aria-describedby`. A hint that only sits next to the field is not connected to it.
- The `required` class draws the asterisk; the `required` attribute is what a screen reader and the browser's validation read. Use both.
- The `form-help` popover is opened by click, so its content is reachable - but keep it for extra detail, never for something users must read to fill the field in.
- One `aria-describedby` can point at several ids. Use that to read a hint and an error message together, rather than replacing one with the other.