Where does the form submit to if there is no action specified?

Question

Here is the form that is confusing me

<h1>
    Login
</h1>
<form action="" method="post">
    <table align="left" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
        <tr>
            <td>
                Username:
            </td>
            <td>
                <input type="text" name="user" maxlength="30">
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>
                Password:
            </td>
            <td>
                <input type="password" name="pass" maxlength="30">
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="left">
                <input type="checkbox" name="remember">
                <font size="2">
                    Remember me next time
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="right">
                <input type="submit" name="sublogin" value="Login">
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="left">
                <a href="register.php">Join</a>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</form>

I got the code from this tutorial and it works fine but i cant seem to understand where a/the form submit too if no action is present

score 63 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 26 '18 at 11:37

63

If action is set to "" or if the action attribute is missing, the form submits to itself. That is, if your script is index.php, your form submits to index.php.

edited Jul 26 '18 at 11:37

Flimm

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answered Apr 04 '11 at 03:31

Jimmy Sawczuk

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Because it's treated as the relative path "", which expands to the current absolute path. – Ates Goral Apr 04 '11 at 03:32

Old McStopher · Answer 2 · 2014-06-29T08:21:28.423

17

If the form's action attribute is either set to "" OR not specified, it will still default to action="self", thus the form will send to the address of the document containing the form.

So,

<form method="post">

<!-- IS THE SAME AS... -->

<form action="" method="post">

<!-- IS THE SAME AS... -->

<form action="self" method="post">

(Try it)

For reference, see the HTML standard 4.10.18.3 #8:

http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/association-of-controls-and-forms.html#form-submission-algorithm

edited Jun 29 '14 at 08:21

answered Jun 29 '14 at 07:59

Old McStopher

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`action="self"` submits to **/self** which is wrong. Tested this to be sure and it does **not** do the same thing as empty attribute. Searched specs and see no mention of "self" in this context – But those new buttons though.. Jun 23 '17 at 23:11
I believe he was just using "self" as an explanation, not an example. – RationalRabbit Sep 27 '17 at 22:01

Sourav · Answer 3 · 2012-03-03T16:09:38.540

7

default action for form submission is METHOD="GET" and ACTION="SELF"
you should use a form name

if the action is empty then it posts to itself.

edited Mar 03 '12 at 16:09

answered Apr 04 '11 at 03:34

Sourav

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does that mean if you go
instead of
(leaving out action entirely) it still posts to itself? or does this just work in some browsers.
– Rusty Rob Mar 02 '12 at 02:23
1

@robertking, see my answer for this, including examples and a reference to the HTML standard. – Old McStopher Jun 29 '14 at 08:23
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another person posting about how `ACTION="SELF"` submits to self.. where are you guys getting this from? That's not how it works. I know this is 6 years old but I don't think it worked like that 6 years ago either. – But those new buttons though.. Jun 23 '17 at 23:19

Where does the form submit to if there is no action specified?

3 Answers3

For reference, see the HTML standard 4.10.18.3 #8:

Linked