Expose the 'autocorrect' global html attribute

concepts

1. Autocorrect Playground

   A side-by-side comparison of text inputs with autocorrect="on" versus autocorrect="off" across different input types — plain text, contenteditable, username, and code. Type freely to see how the attribute affects what reaches the application.

2. Form Precision Demo

   A realistic form with varied fields — display name (autocorrect welcome), username (no autocorrect), email (no autocorrect), and a code snippet editor (no autocorrect). Shows how a single attribute keeps autocorrect where it helps and banishes it where it harms.

3. Inheritance Explorer

   The autocorrect attribute inherits through the DOM tree. Toggle the attribute at <form>, section, and individual input levels — live indicators show the effective value at each level and what's inherited vs explicitly set. Type into the live fields to feel autocorrect switch on and off as inheritance resolves.

4. Form Audit Tool

   Scans a realistic sign-up form, flags every field that should disable autocorrect (usernames, emails, OTPs, coupons, code), and one-click rewrites the form HTML with the correct attribute on each input. Heuristic uses type, name, id and autocomplete tokens.

5. Cross-Browser Matrix

   The interop story — Safari since 2011, Firefox 127, Chrome 152. Live probe that reads the autocorrect IDL property in your current browser, checks whether it reflects as a boolean, and reports the user agent. Useful for site-compat audits.

6. Locale & Script Matrix

   Eight scripts (Latin, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi) side by side — each with an autocorrect="on" and an autocorrect="off" input and a sample to type. A global toggle forces all inputs on or off at once for comparison. Includes IME interaction notes per script.

7. Content Authoring Tool

   Two live contenteditable editors side by side — prose (autocorrect="on") vs precision (autocorrect="off"). Switch the right pane between code editor, username, and search scenarios. Sync text between panes to see how the same content behaves differently. Live attribute state table updates as you switch.

8. Accessibility & i18n Audit

   Paste any HTML with form inputs. The auditor scans every field and flags: missing autocorrect="off" on precision fields (usernames, emails, codes, slugs, tags), missing lang on non-Latin inputs, conflicting spellcheck settings. Loads four example forms and outputs one-click-corrected HTML.

why it shipped

Autocorrect has always existed as a device-level and browser-level behaviour, but the web lacked a standard attribute to control it. Developers worked around this with a patchwork of heuristics — type="email", autocomplete="off", spellcheck="false", input mode tricks — none of which reliably disabled OS autocorrection on all platforms. Safari shipped autocorrect years ago, and the Chrome 152 implementation aligns the web to an interoperable cross-browser attribute that does exactly what it says. Firefox shipped support in Firefox 127.

what the attribute controls

• autocorrect="on" — the browser may apply OS autocorrection while the user types (default behaviour in most contexts)
• autocorrect="off" — the browser must not apply autocorrection; what the user types is exactly what reaches the value
• Inheritable — set it on a <form> or container and all descendant inputs inherit, unless overridden
• Works on <input>, <textarea>, and contenteditable hosts
• Distinct from spellcheck (wavy underlines) — autocorrect stops silent replacements; spellcheck only adds visual hints

references

• ChromeStatus entry
• MDN — autocorrect global attribute
• HTML Living Standard — Autocorrection