:invalid

The :invalid CSS pseudo-class represents any <input> or <form> element whose content fails to validate according to the input's type setting. This allows you to easily have invalid fields adopt an appearance that helps the user identify and correct errors.

By default, Gecko does not apply a style to the :invalid pseudo-class. However it does apply a style (a red "glow" using the box-shadow property) to the :-moz-ui-invalid pseudo-class, which applies in a subset of cases for :invalid.

You can disable the glow using the following CSS, or completely override it to alter the appearance of invalid fields.

:invalid {
  box-shadow: none;
}

:-moz-submit-invalid {
  box-shadow: none;
}

:-moz-ui-invalid {
  box-shadow: none;
}

Syntax

:invalid { style properties }

Notes

Radio buttons

If any of the radio buttons in a group (that is, with the same value for their name attribute) is required, the :invalid pseudo-class is applied to all of them if none of the buttons in the group are selected.

Example

This example presents a simple form that colors elements green when they validate and red when they don't.

HTML Content

<form>
  <label>Enter a URL:</label>
  <input type="url" />
  <br />
  <br />
  <label>Enter an email address:</label>
  <input type="email" required/>
</form>

CSS Content

input:invalid {
  background-color: #ffdddd;
}

form:invalid {
  border: 5px solid #ffdddd;
}

input:valid {
  background-color: #ddffdd;
}

form:valid {
  border: 5px solid #ddffdd;
}
  
input:required {
  border-color: #800000;
  border-width: 3px;
}

input:required:invalid {
  border-color: #C00000;
}

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
WHATWG HTML Living Standard The definition of ':invalid' in that specification.	Living Standard	No change.
HTML5 The definition of ':invalid' in that specification.	Recommendation	Defines the semantic regarding HTML and constraint validation.
Selectors Level 4 The definition of ':invalid' in that specification.	Working Draft	No change.
CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 3 The definition of ':invalid' in that specification.	Candidate Recommendation	Defines the pseudo-class, but not the associated semantic.

Browser compatibility

See also

• :valid
• :-moz-submit-invalid
• :required
• :optional