If you manage forms on your WordPress site with Fluent Forms, you may want to add character counters to textarea fields to help users track their input length. This is particularly useful for fields with character limits like comment sections, bio fields, or application forms where space is restricted.
This tutorial will show you how to add a professional, accessible character counter to Fluent Forms textarea fields that displays the remaining characters as users type, with helpful warnings when they approach the limit.
The character counter we’ll build offers:
- Real-time character counting as users type
- Accessibility features for screen readers
- Visual feedback when limits are approached
- Customisable warning thresholds and messages
Demo
Why Add Character Counters to Your Forms?
Adding character counters to your forms provides several benefits:
- Improves user experience by giving immediate feedback
- Reduces form submission errors and frustration
- Helps users craft responses that fit within your requirements
- Makes your forms more accessible for all users
Implementation Overview
This solution works in two parts:
- PHP function to modify the textarea HTML output and add the counter structure
- JavaScript to handle real-time counting and provide feedback
Let’s start implementing this feature step by step.
Step 1: Prepare Your Form
For this character counter to work, you need to:
- Create a form in Fluent Forms that includes textarea fields
- Set a maximum character length for the textarea fields
- Add a specific CSS class to the textarea container to target it
In your Fluent Forms editor:
- Add a Textarea field to your form
- In the field settings, set the “Maximum Length” to your desired limit (e.g., 200)
- Under “Advanced Options”, add
max-counterto the “Container Class” field
Step 2: Add the Character Counter Code
Now, you’ll need to add the code that creates and manages the character counter. Add the code below to your theme’s functions.php file or, preferably, to a custom functionality plugin.