HTML: the action attribute

The action attribute tells a form which URL should receive its submitted data.

Basic example

<form action="/search" method="get">
  <label>Keyword <input name="q"></label>
  <button type="submit">Search</button>
</form>

When the form is submitted, the browser sends the successful controls to /search. The name value becomes the parameter name, so a keyword might produce /search?q=html.

action and method

• action selects the destination URL.
• method="get" places form data in the URL, which is useful for searches and filters.
• method="post" sends data in the request body and is commonly used when creating or changing server-side data.
• If action is omitted, the form normally submits to the current document URL.

Different destinations for buttons

<form action="/orders/submit" method="post">
  <button type="submit">Place order</button>
  <button type="submit" formaction="/orders/draft">Save draft</button>
</form>

The second button overrides the form's action for that submission. This is useful when related actions share the same fields but should use different endpoints.

Common mistakes

• Expecting an input without a name to be included in submitted data.
• Using get for secrets or other data that should not appear in a URL.
• Changing the destination only with JavaScript and leaving the no-script form unclear.