---
title: Text inputs
description: Single-line and multi-line text fields, plus email, URL and number variants, for collecting free text in a modal or Home tab.
---

`plain_text_input` collects free text. Slack also ships three constrained variants that render the
same control with a different keyboard and, for email and URL, a small leading icon:
`email_text_input`, `url_text_input` and `number_input`. All four are `input`-block-only elements:
they don't appear in an `actions` block or as a section accessory.

<Preview
  payload={{
    type: "modal",
    title: { type: "plain_text", text: "New task" },
    submit: { type: "plain_text", text: "Create" },
    close: { type: "plain_text", text: "Cancel" },
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "title",
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Title" },
        element: {
          type: "plain_text_input",
          action_id: "title_input",
          placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "e.g. Ship the release notes" },
        },
      },
    ],
  }}
/>

## Fields

| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| `type` | `"plain_text_input" \| "email_text_input" \| "url_text_input" \| "number_input"` | - | Which variant to render. All four share the fields below. |
| `action_id?` | `string` | - | Identifies this action in the interaction payload and as the key in `state.values`. Maximum length is 255 characters. |
| `initial_value?` | `string` | - | The value shown when the surface loads. |
| `placeholder?` | `PlainTextElement` | - | Grey placeholder text shown when the field is empty. Maximum length is 150 characters. |
| `multiline?` | `boolean` | `false` | `plain_text_input` only. Renders a resizable textarea instead of a single-line field. |
| `min_length?` | `number` | - | `plain_text_input` only. Minimum number of characters required on submit. Maximum value is 3000. |
| `max_length?` | `number` | - | `plain_text_input` only. Maximum number of characters allowed. |
| `is_decimal_allowed?` | `boolean` | - | `number_input` only. Allows a decimal point when `true`; otherwise only whole numbers can be typed. Required for this variant. |
| `min_value?` | `string` | - | `number_input` only. The smallest value allowed; cannot be greater than `max_value`. |
| `max_value?` | `string` | - | `number_input` only. The largest value allowed; cannot be less than `min_value`. |
| `dispatch_action_config?` | `DispatchActionConfig` | - | Configures which keystrokes fire a `block_actions` payload while typing. See Dispatching actions below. |
| `focus_on_load?` | `boolean` | `false` | Focuses this field when the surface loads. Only one element per view can set this. |

:::note
`number_input` requires `is_decimal_allowed`. Slack has no default for it, so always set it
explicitly.
:::

## Examples

### Single line vs. multiline

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "feedback",
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Feedback" },
        element: {
          type: "plain_text_input",
          action_id: "feedback_input",
          multiline: true,
          placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "What went well? What didn't?" },
        },
      },
    ],
  }}
/>

Setting `multiline: true` swaps the single-line field for a textarea that grows with the content.
Pressing Enter inside a multiline field inserts a newline instead of submitting.

### Email, URL and number variants

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "email",
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Email address" },
        element: {
          type: "email_text_input",
          action_id: "email_input",
          placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "name@example.com" },
        },
        hint: { type: "plain_text", text: "We'll only use this for receipts." },
      },
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "website",
        optional: true,
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Website" },
        element: {
          type: "url_text_input",
          action_id: "url_input",
          initial_value: "https://example.com",
        },
      },
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "quantity",
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Quantity" },
        element: {
          type: "number_input",
          action_id: "number_input",
          is_decimal_allowed: false,
          min_value: "1",
          max_value: "99",
          initial_value: "3",
        },
      },
    ],
  }}
/>

`email_text_input` and `url_text_input` show a small envelope or link icon inside the field.
`number_input` restricts what can be typed to digits (and, with `is_decimal_allowed: true`, a
single decimal point), Slack rejects the keystroke rather than showing it and clearing it.

### Dispatching actions as you type

By default, an `input` block's element only reports its value into `state.values`, which your app
reads when the surface is submitted. Typing doesn't fire an action. Set the block's
`dispatch_action: true` and, optionally, the element's `dispatch_action_config` to get a live
`block_actions` payload while the person types:

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "input",
        block_id: "search",
        dispatch_action: true,
        label: { type: "plain_text", text: "Search" },
        element: {
          type: "plain_text_input",
          action_id: "search_input",
          dispatch_action_config: { trigger_actions_on: ["on_character_entered"] },
        },
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

`trigger_actions_on` accepts `on_enter_pressed` (the default) and `on_character_entered`. With the
default, single-line fields also pick up a "Press 'enter' to submit" hint automatically, unless the
block already has its own `hint`. Multiline fields never show it, since Enter inserts a newline
there instead of submitting.

### Initial value

The Website field above starts pre-filled with `https://example.com` via `initial_value`. Slack
reports the initial value into `state.values` as soon as the surface loads, before any typing.

## Interactivity

With `dispatch_action` set, every trigger calls `onAction` with the current text as `value`:

```json
{
  "type": "plain_text_input",
  "action_id": "search_input",
  "block_id": "search",
  "action_ts": "1706000000.000100",
  "value": "rel"
}
```

### Reading the value

Every keystroke (and the initial value, if any) is written to `state.values` in Slack's
`{ type, value }` shape, keyed by the element's variant `type`:

```json
{
  "email": {
    "email_input": { "type": "email_text_input", "value": "name@example.com" }
  }
}
```

## Related

**[Rich text input](/elements/rich-text-input)**

A formatted text field that reports a `rich_text` value instead of a plain string.

**[File input](/elements/file-input)**

Collect file uploads in a modal.

**[Date picker](/elements/date-picker)**

Pick a single date from a calendar dropdown.

**[Elements overview](/elements/index)**

Where each element can live, and how `action_id` and `block_id` fit together.