Text Area

  1. OPTIS Product Options, Variant
  2. 20 Option Types
  3. Text Input


Text Area


A Text area is a multi-line box for longer text. Unlike a Text box, customers can press Enter to start a new line or paragraph, and the box grows as they type.



When to use a Text area


  • Custom orders - engraving text, name personalization, special requests.
  • Gift messages - a note to include with the order, or delivery instructions.
  • Forms - a short bio, cover letter, or a longer answer on an application.


How to add a Text area option

Step 1: Add the option


Open 1. Add options, click Add option, tick Text area under Text input on the New options tab, then click Add options.




Step 2: Name it


Enter the Label on product (e.g., "Note"). Use Label on cart if the cart and order should show a different name. Tick any options below based on your needs:


  • Required field if customers must fill it in
  • Hide option label to hide the label.



Step 3: Save and test


Click Save, then open the product page on your store to check that the Text area works correctly.



Option settings


Set only what you need - all of the settings below are optional.




Default value and placeholder


  • Placeholder text - a faded hint shown inside the field (e.g., "Type your message here"). It disappears once the customer starts typing. Available on every plan.



How the placeholder looks on your storefront:



  • Default value - text that is already filled in when the customer opens the product page. Available on the Advanced plan and above.



Example: pre-fill the "Message" field with "Happy Birthday!" so it appears automatically when customers open the product page.



Help text


Add a short note explaining what to enter. Choose how it's shown: Tooltip, Below the option title, Beside the option title, or Below the option.



Example of Help text shown as a Tooltip on the storefront:



Limit the number of characters


Set Min character and Max character to control how much customers can type. Available on the Advanced plan and above.



  • Min character - if the customer's text is shorter than this, OPTIS shows a message under the field, e.g. Min character: 5.



  • Max character - once the customer reaches this limit, OPTIS stops accepting more input and shows a message under the field, e.g. Max character: 50.



  • Character counter (optional) - turn on Character count for text box in Settings > General Settings > Option type setting > Text input to also show a running count (e.g. 12/50 characters) under the field. See Limit Characters for Text Input.



Charge an extra fee (price add-on)


Charge more when a customer fills in this field. Available on the Advanced plan and above; Upsell product needs Platinum.




How the price add-on looks on the storefront:





Show or hide with Visibility (conditional logic)


  • Show or hide the Text area based on another option - for example, only show a "Message" field when the customer answers "Yes" to "Would you like to leave a message?".
  • Available on the Advanced plan and above. See How to set up Conditional logics?



Option width


In the Display tab, set Option width (25%, 33%, 50%, 67%, 75% or 100%) to control how much horizontal space the Text area takes.




Updated on: 25/09/2026

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