Omit `novalidate` from comment form by default but introduce `novalidate` arg to override #8858

westonruter · 2025-05-31T19:39:00Z

The comment form currently outputs a FORM tag with a novalidate attribute if the theme supports html5. This is obsolete now that browsers have greatly improved their support for client-side validation. Omitting this attribute helps ensure that a commenter does not accidentally submit an incomplete comment form, potentially risking losing the drafted comment (e.g. if the browser's bfcache is not enabled).

With this PR, the novalidate attribute is omitted by default. If a site owner wants to retain the novalidate attribute on the comment form, they can opt-in via a filter, for example:

add_filter(
	'comment_form_defaults',
	static function ( array $defaults ): array {
		$defaults['novalidate'] = true;
		return $defaults;
	}
);

Or when they can pass in this argument when the theme calls comment_form():

comment_form( array( 'novalidate' => true ) );

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/47595

Commit Message

Comments: Remove novalidate attribute from comments form by default.

Browser support for client-side validation is now reliable. Blocking the form submission when there is a missing/invalid field prevents the possibility of losing comment content when bfcache does not restore the page.

To retain the novalidate attribute, the comment_form()'s args now accepts a novalidate key which will add the attribute when it is true. This can also be supplied by the comment_form_default_fields filter, for example:

{{{#!php
add_filter( 'comment_form_defaults', function ( $args ) {
$args['novalidate'] = true;
return $args;
} );
}}}

Fixes #47595.
Props westonruter, joedolson, sabernhardt.

This Pull Request is for code review only. Please keep all other discussion in the Trac ticket. Do not merge this Pull Request. See GitHub Pull Requests for Code Review in the Core Handbook for more details.

…ibute to be omitted Fixes merge conflicts in applying https://core.trac.wordpress.org/attachment/ticket/47595/47595-novalidate_form-argument.0.diff

github-actions · 2025-05-31T19:39:12Z

The following accounts have interacted with this PR and/or linked issues. I will continue to update these lists as activity occurs. You can also manually ask me to refresh this list by adding the props-bot label.

Core Committers: Use this line as a base for the props when committing in SVN:

Props westonruter, sabernhardt, joedolson.

To understand the WordPress project's expectations around crediting contributors, please review the Contributor Attribution page in the Core Handbook.

src/wp-includes/comment-template.php

Co-authored-by: Stephen A. Bernhardt <[email protected]>

github-actions · 2025-05-31T20:02:32Z

Test using WordPress Playground

The changes in this pull request can previewed and tested using a WordPress Playground instance.

WordPress Playground is an experimental project that creates a full WordPress instance entirely within the browser.

Some things to be aware of

The Plugin and Theme Directories cannot be accessed within Playground.
All changes will be lost when closing a tab with a Playground instance.
All changes will be lost when refreshing the page.
A fresh instance is created each time the link below is clicked.
Every time this pull request is updated, a new ZIP file containing all changes is created. If changes are not reflected in the Playground instance,
it's possible that the most recent build failed, or has not completed. Check the list of workflow runs to be sure.

For more details about these limitations and more, check out the Limitations page in the WordPress Playground documentation.

Test this pull request with WordPress Playground.

westonruter · 2025-06-06T16:25:41Z

src/wp-includes/comment-template.php

@@ -2446,6 +2446,7 @@ function wp_list_comments( $args = array(), $comments = null ) {
 * @since 4.6.0 Introduced the 'action' argument.
 * @since 4.9.6 Introduced the 'cookies' default comment field.
 * @since 5.5.0 Introduced the 'class_container' argument.
+ * @since n.e.x.t Introduced the 'novalidate_form' argument.


I used this placeholder version since I wasn't sure how long it would take to merge this or if we'd target it for 6.8.2. But seems like it makes sense for a minor release, especially with the current relaxation of the criteria.

I agree; 6.8.2 seems reasonable. But with all the changes recently, I honestly don't have any idea...

Done in 234cd63

joedolson

This isn't really a request changes; it's more of an 'open to discussion'. I think that this is fine to go as is, but I feel there might be room for a clearer variable name. Feel free to dismiss if you disagree or feel it's a net neutral.

joedolson · 2025-06-12T16:24:16Z

src/wp-includes/comment-template.php

@@ -2446,6 +2446,7 @@ function wp_list_comments( $args = array(), $comments = null ) {
 * @since 4.6.0 Introduced the 'action' argument.
 * @since 4.9.6 Introduced the 'cookies' default comment field.
 * @since 5.5.0 Introduced the 'class_container' argument.
+ * @since n.e.x.t Introduced the 'novalidate_form' argument.


I agree; 6.8.2 seems reasonable. But with all the changes recently, I honestly don't have any idea...

joedolson · 2025-06-12T16:28:14Z

src/wp-includes/comment-template.php

@@ -2646,6 +2648,7 @@ function comment_form( $args = array(), $post = null ) {
 		),
 		'comment_notes_after'  => '',
 		'action'               => site_url( '/wp-comments-post.php' ),
+		'novalidate_form'      => false,


I'm wondering if this would be clearer as novalidate_att, and indicate that this is the behavior of the novalidate attribute. I'm on the fence about this, because we can't really avoid the double-negative. I'm not sure there's any foolproof way to communicate how the false state of a negative attribute is expressed.

Good question. I picked this name to parallel to keys like class_container, id_form, and name_submit which is pattern is attribute name followed by the thing the attribute is for.

It makes sense; it just doesn't follow the pattern used elsewhere in the same array. E.g. 'action' => "value of the action attribute".

By that argument, maybe it would just be 'novalidate' => false

Consistency, apparently, is hard. ;)

It couldn't be relevant to any other element anyway, same as action, as only the form has either of these attributes. It's different for id or class when they can be on anything.

For another idea: use_novalidate (which is similar to use_desc_for_title in wp_list_categories())

I don't think so because the other keys don't use a verb like that in this function. I like novalidate as it can't be any simpler 😄

I think just 'novalidate' makes sense. As @westonruter says, it's not valid on any other element, and it matches the method used for 'action'. Let's go with that.

OK, there we are! 3550454

…into trac-47595

github-actions · 2025-06-12T20:46:17Z

A commit was made that fixes the Trac ticket referenced in the description of this pull request.

SVN changeset: 60304
GitHub commit: b29a5c2

This PR will be closed, but please confirm the accuracy of this and reopen if there is more work to be done.

westonruter added 3 commits May 31, 2025 11:29

Option 1: Add a novalidate_form argument to allow the novalidate attr…

2754f67

…ibute to be omitted Fixes merge conflicts in applying https://core.trac.wordpress.org/attachment/ticket/47595/47595-novalidate_form-argument.0.diff

Omit the novalidate attribute from the comment form by default

cbd92d2

Default to omitting novalidate from comment form and add tests

c5f8820

westonruter requested a review from joedolson May 31, 2025 19:39

sabernhardt reviewed May 31, 2025

View reviewed changes

src/wp-includes/comment-template.php Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

Fix typo

04b4343

Co-authored-by: Stephen A. Bernhardt <[email protected]>

westonruter commented Jun 6, 2025

View reviewed changes

joedolson requested changes Jun 12, 2025

View reviewed changes

westonruter requested a review from joedolson June 12, 2025 16:43

westonruter added 3 commits June 12, 2025 11:29

Merge branch 'trunk' of https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop …

585d151

…into trac-47595

Rename novalidate_form to novalidate

3550454

Use 6.8.2 as introduced version

234cd63

westonruter requested a review from sabernhardt June 12, 2025 18:32

westonruter changed the title ~~Omit novalidate from comment form by default but introduce novalidate_form arg to override~~ Omit novalidate from comment form by default but introduce novalidate arg to override Jun 12, 2025

fixup! Rename novalidate_form to novalidate

e0e8b5f

joedolson approved these changes Jun 12, 2025

View reviewed changes

github-actions bot closed this Jun 12, 2025

Omit novalidate from comment form by default but introduce novalidate arg to override #8858

Omit novalidate from comment form by default but introduce novalidate arg to override #8858

Uh oh!

Conversation

westonruter commented May 31, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Commit Message

Uh oh!

github-actions bot commented May 31, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

github-actions bot commented May 31, 2025

Test using WordPress Playground

Some things to be aware of

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

joedolson left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

github-actions bot commented Jun 12, 2025

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Omit `novalidate` from comment form by default but introduce `novalidate` arg to override #8858

Omit `novalidate` from comment form by default but introduce `novalidate` arg to override #8858

westonruter commented May 31, 2025 •

edited

Loading

github-actions bot commented May 31, 2025 •

edited

Loading