HTML form action and method, explained

The HTML form action and method attributes decide where a form’s data goes and how it gets there. action is the URL that receives the submission. method is either GET, which puts the data in the URL, or POST, which sends it in the request body. For contact forms and anything that sends a message, use POST with an action that points at a server or form backend. Then give every input a name, because fields without one are never sent.

The three attributes that matter most

A working form needs very little:

<form action="https://api.formdoc.dev/v1/submit" method="POST">
  <input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">
  <input type="email" name="email" required>
  <textarea name="message" required></textarea>
  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

Three things make this form send data: the action on the form, the method on the form, and the name on each field. Everything else (labels, placeholders, styling) helps people, but doesn’t change what the browser sends.

The action attribute

action is the address the browser sends the data to. It can be:

• A full URL, such as a form backend endpoint. This is the usual choice for static sites.
• A relative path, such as /contact, when your own server handles the form.
• Left out, in which case the form posts back to the current page’s URL. On a static site that means the data goes nowhere useful.

A common mistake is an action that points at a file that doesn’t exist, like send.php on a host that doesn’t run PHP. The browser sends the data, gets an error page back, and the message is lost. If your host only serves files, point action at something that can receive posts. What is a form backend explains that option.

Avoid action="mailto:..." too. It hands the data to the visitor’s email app instead of sending it, and the mailto form guide covers why that so often fails.

The method attribute: GET vs POST

method has two values you’ll use in practice.

GET adds the field values to the end of the URL as a query string, like /search?q=shoes&size=9. It’s meant for reading, not changing anything. Search boxes and filters are the classic use: the result page can be bookmarked and shared.

POST sends the field values in the body of the request, out of sight of the address bar. It’s meant for actions that change something, like sending a message, signing up or placing an order.

	GET	POST
Where the data goes	In the URL	In the request body
Visible in address bar and history	Yes	No
Can be bookmarked or shared	Yes	No
Size	Limited by URL length	Much larger
Good for	Search, filters, pagination	Contact forms, sign-ups, anything that sends or saves
Default if method is missing	Yes	No

That last row catches people out. If you forget method="POST", the browser uses GET, and your visitor’s name, email and message end up in the URL, in browser history and possibly in server logs. Always set method="POST" on forms that send personal details.

FormDoc’s submit endpoint expects POST.

The name attribute

name is the key each value is sent under. When the form above is submitted, the browser sends something like:

access_key=YOUR_ACCESS_KEY&email=asha%40example.com&message=Hello

The rules are simple:

1. No name, no data. An input without a name is skipped completely. This is the most common reason a field “doesn’t arrive”.
2. Names should be clear. Whatever you choose is what you’ll see in the notification email, so phone beats field_3.
3. Same name, several values. Checkboxes that share a name send one value per ticked box. Radio buttons that share a name let the visitor pick one.
4. id is not name. id connects a label to its input. name is what gets sent. Most fields need both.

<label for="phone">Phone</label>
<input id="phone" type="tel" name="phone">

Checkbox groups are worth a quick example, because they show how one name can carry several answers:

<input type="checkbox" id="web" name="services" value="Web design">
<label for="web">Web design</label>
<input type="checkbox" id="seo" name="services" value="SEO">
<label for="seo">SEO</label>

If the visitor ticks both, the browser sends services twice, once with each value. A checkbox that isn’t ticked sends nothing at all, so don’t expect a “no” value to arrive. If you need a clear yes or no, use two radio buttons with the same name instead.

Some names have a special meaning to a form backend. In FormDoc, access_key, subject, from_name, redirect, replyto and botcheck are reserved: they control the email and the response instead of appearing as ordinary fields. Name your visitor’s address field email and replies to the notification go straight to them.

Other attributes worth knowing

A few more attributes are useful once the basics work:

• enctype sets how the body is encoded. The default suits text fields, so you rarely need to change it for a contact form.
• autocomplete on inputs (name, email, tel) helps browsers fill fields correctly.
• required and type="email" let the browser catch missing or badly formatted values before sending.
• novalidate on the form turns that browser checking off. Leave it off unless you’re doing your own validation in JavaScript.
• target controls where the response opens. You almost never need it.

Putting it together

Here is a complete form with every attribute doing its job:

<form action="https://api.formdoc.dev/v1/submit" method="POST">
  <input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">
  <input type="hidden" name="subject" value="New enquiry">

  <label for="name">Name</label>
  <input id="name" type="text" name="name" autocomplete="name" required>

  <label for="email">Email</label>
  <input id="email" type="email" name="email" autocomplete="email" required>

  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" required></textarea>

  <input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off">
  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

The full set of fields and responses is in the API reference, and how to send an HTML form to email without PHP walks through getting a key and testing.

Common questions

What happens if I leave out the action attribute?

The form submits to the URL of the page it’s on. If that page is a static file, the data is ignored and the page simply reloads. Always set action to the URL that should receive the submission.

Should a contact form use GET or POST?

POST. A contact form sends personal details and creates something new (a message), which is exactly what POST is for. GET would put the visitor’s details in the URL and browser history.

Why is one of my fields missing from the email?

Almost always because the input has no name attribute, or two fields share a name by accident. Check each input in your HTML and give it a unique, descriptive name.

Next step

Once your attributes are right, the form only needs somewhere to send. The docs show the setup for your platform, and you can get a free access key at https://app.formdoc.dev/new and point your action at it in a couple of minutes.