Textarea Field
The Textarea field provides a larger, multi-line text box for customers to enter longer messages or detailed instructions. Unlike the single-line Text Input, the Textarea expands vertically to accommodate paragraphs of text.
Common Use Cases
- Long gift notes or personal messages
- Special delivery or handling instructions
- Detailed customization requirements (e.g., cake decoration descriptions)
- Custom product specifications or notes to the seller
Field Settings
When you add a Textarea field and expand it in the builder, the following settings are available:
General
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | The title displayed above the textarea on the product page (e.g., "Gift Message"). |
| Description | Optional help text shown below the field to guide the customer (e.g., "Maximum 200 characters"). |
| Required | When checked, the customer must enter text before adding the product to the cart. |
Placeholder
You can set Placeholder text that appears as faded hint text inside the textarea (e.g., "Type your full message here..."). This text disappears as soon as the customer starts typing.
Pricing
Since the Textarea is not an options-based field, pricing is configured at the field level:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Price Type | Choose how the field affects the product price. Available types: No Price, Flat Fee, Percentage of Base, Per Character, or Formula. |
| Price Amount | The numeric value to apply. |
| Formula | (Only when Price Type is "Formula") A math expression using placeholders like [value], [char_count], [base_price], and [quantity]. |
Restrictions
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Min Length | The minimum number of characters the customer must enter. |
| Max Length | The maximum number of characters allowed. Useful for limiting the length of engraving or embroidery text. |
TIP
Combine Per Character pricing with a Max Length restriction to let customers know exactly what their customization will cost. For example, "Each character costs $0.25, maximum 150 characters."
Conditional Logic
You can show or hide this field based on the value of another field in the same group. For example, you might only show a "Special Instructions" textarea when the customer selects "Custom Order" from a dropdown.
For full details on setting up rules, see the Conditional Logic page.