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Form enctype Property

Form Object Reference Form Object

Example

Return how form-data should be encoded before sending it to the server:

var x = document.getElementById("myForm").enctype;

The result of x will be:

application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Try it yourself »

Definition and Usage

The enctype property sets or returns the value of the enctype attribute in a form.

The enctype attribute specifies how form-data should be encoded before sending it to the server.

The form-data is encoded to "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" by default. This means that all characters are encoded before they are sent to the server (spaces are converted to "+" symbols, and special characters are converted to ASCII HEX values).


Browser Support

Internet Explorer Firefox Opera Google Chrome Safari

The enctype property is supported in all major browsers.


Syntax

Return the enctype property:

formObject.enctype

Set the enctype property:

formObject.enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded,multipart/form-data,text/plain"

Property Values

Value Description
application/x-www-form-urlencoded All characters are encoded before sent (this is default)
multipart/form-data No characters are encoded. This value is required when you are using forms that have a file upload control
text/plain Spaces are converted to "+" symbols, but no special characters are encoded

Technical Details

Return Value: A String, representing how form-data should be encoded before sending it to the server

More Examples

Example

Change the enctype value for how form-data should be encoded before sending it to the server:

document.getElementById("myForm").enctype = "multipart/form-data";
Try it yourself »

Related Pages

HTML reference: HTML <form> enctype attribute


Form Object Reference Form Object