Ways to prevent selection or highlighting of an HTML input field?

Question

Ways to prevent selection or highlighting of an HTML input field?

Is there a way to prevent users from selecting or highlighting an <input> element?

Consider the following:

input { 
  user-select: none;
}

<input type="number" value="123" />

Unfortunately, the methods suggested in How to disable text selection highlighting and CSS disable text selection do not work on an input.

Please note that I would prefer not to set the input element to disabled mode if possible.

html css html-input

Answer 1

Answer №1

If you still need pointer events, this method will work:

Plain JavaScript

<style>
input::selection {
  background-color: transparent;
}
</style>

<input 
  type="number"
  oncopy="return false"
  oncut="return false"
  onpaste="return false"
/>

React with Styled Components

import styled from 'styled-components';

const ScInput = styled.input`
  &::selection {
    background-color: transparent;
  }
`;

const Input = () => (
  <Input
    onCopy={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
    onCut={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
    onPaste={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
  />
);

export default Input;

This code snippet disables copy/cut/paste functionality for an input field and sets the selection color to transparent.

Answer 2

If you still need pointer events, this method will work:

Plain JavaScript

<style>
input::selection {
  background-color: transparent;
}
</style>

<input 
  type="number"
  oncopy="return false"
  oncut="return false"
  onpaste="return false"
/>

React with Styled Components

import styled from 'styled-components';

const ScInput = styled.input`
  &::selection {
    background-color: transparent;
  }
`;

const Input = () => (
  <Input
    onCopy={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
    onCut={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
    onPaste={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
  />
);

export default Input;

This code snippet disables copy/cut/paste functionality for an input field and sets the selection color to transparent.

Answer 3

Answer №2

To conceal the selection, simply use the following CSS code:

input::selection {
    background-color: transparent;
}

Note that if the user attempts to drag the text after selecting it, the illusion will be dispelled, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative method available.

(What purpose does hiding the selection serve?)

Answer 4

To conceal the selection, simply use the following CSS code:

input::selection {
    background-color: transparent;
}

Note that if the user attempts to drag the text after selecting it, the illusion will be dispelled, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative method available.

(What purpose does hiding the selection serve?)

Answer 5

Answer №3

If you want to remove the selection almost instantly when someone selects something inside an input element, you can use

.getSelection().removeAllRanges();

.

Copying the text is still possible if someone is quick.

$("input").select(function() {
    window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
});

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="number" value="123">

To make it appear as though the text is not selectable (as suggested in Samuel's answer), you can utilize this additional code snippet:

$("input").select(function() {
        window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
});

input::selection {
    background-color:transparent;
}

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="number" value="123">

In addition to these methods, you can prevent the user from copying anything within an input field by adding onCopy="return false" to the input field. Although it remains selectable, copying is disabled.

<input type="number" value="123" onselectstart="return false" oncopy="return false;" />

You may choose to implement one or a combination of two of these techniques in your project. By combining the necessary elements, you can create an input field that is both unselectable and uncopyable.

You can also explore disabling cutting/pasting or right-clicking, as explained in this article.

Answer 6

If you want to remove the selection almost instantly when someone selects something inside an input element, you can use

.getSelection().removeAllRanges();

.

Copying the text is still possible if someone is quick.

$("input").select(function() {
    window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
});

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="number" value="123">

To make it appear as though the text is not selectable (as suggested in Samuel's answer), you can utilize this additional code snippet:

$("input").select(function() {
        window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
});

input::selection {
    background-color:transparent;
}

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="number" value="123">

In addition to these methods, you can prevent the user from copying anything within an input field by adding onCopy="return false" to the input field. Although it remains selectable, copying is disabled.

<input type="number" value="123" onselectstart="return false" oncopy="return false;" />

You may choose to implement one or a combination of two of these techniques in your project. By combining the necessary elements, you can create an input field that is both unselectable and uncopyable.

You can also explore disabling cutting/pasting or right-clicking, as explained in this article.

Answer 7

Answer №4

After reviewing your needs, it appears that the most suitable approach may be to avoid using a user-facing number input altogether and instead opt for a progressively enhanced "ticker" structure.

An example of such an enhanced number input, which restricts the ability to manually select values, could look like this:

<form onsubmit="alert('The value is: ' + this.v.value); return false">
  <label for="o">Value:</label>
  <!-- Displays the value -->
  <output id="o" for="plus minus"
    style="min-width: 2em;
      display: inline-block;
      text-align: right; border: 1px solid;
      padding-inline: .5em;
      user-select: none;
">0</output>
  <!-- Holds the actual value -->
  <input name="v" type="hidden" value="0" onchange="o.value=value">
  <!-- Controls -->
  <button id="plus" type="button" aria-label="Increase value"
  onclick="v.value=Number(v.value)+1;v.onchange()"
  >+</button>
  <button id="minus" type="button" aria-label="Decrease value"
  onclick="v.value=Number(v.value)-1;v.onchange()"
  >-</button>
  <hr>
  <input type="submit">
</form>

(Please note that this example is purely for illustration purposes. The underlying element should ideally be a standard number input. Both versions should be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies, although this specific design has not been fully tested at the moment.)

Answer 8

After reviewing your needs, it appears that the most suitable approach may be to avoid using a user-facing number input altogether and instead opt for a progressively enhanced "ticker" structure.

An example of such an enhanced number input, which restricts the ability to manually select values, could look like this:

<form onsubmit="alert('The value is: ' + this.v.value); return false">
  <label for="o">Value:</label>
  <!-- Displays the value -->
  <output id="o" for="plus minus"
    style="min-width: 2em;
      display: inline-block;
      text-align: right; border: 1px solid;
      padding-inline: .5em;
      user-select: none;
">0</output>
  <!-- Holds the actual value -->
  <input name="v" type="hidden" value="0" onchange="o.value=value">
  <!-- Controls -->
  <button id="plus" type="button" aria-label="Increase value"
  onclick="v.value=Number(v.value)+1;v.onchange()"
  >+</button>
  <button id="minus" type="button" aria-label="Decrease value"
  onclick="v.value=Number(v.value)-1;v.onchange()"
  >-</button>
  <hr>
  <input type="submit">
</form>

(Please note that this example is purely for illustration purposes. The underlying element should ideally be a standard number input. Both versions should be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies, although this specific design has not been fully tested at the moment.)

Answer 9

Answer №5

After some experimentation, it looks like this solution is effective:

input { 
    pointer-events: none;
}

<input type="number" value="123" />

Answer 10

After some experimentation, it looks like this solution is effective:

input { 
    pointer-events: none;
}

<input type="number" value="123" />

Ways to prevent selection or highlighting of an HTML input field?

Answer №1

Plain JavaScript

React with Styled Components

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

Answer №5

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