When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="waste-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
Which types of waste do you transport?
</h1></legend><divid="waste-hint"class="govuk-hint">
Select all that apply
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="carcasses"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste">
Waste from animal carcasses
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-2"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="mines"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-2">
Waste from mines or quarries
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-3"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="farm"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-3">
Farm or agricultural waste
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "waste",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "Which types of waste do you transport?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
hint: {
text: "Select all that apply"
},
items: [
{
value: "carcasses",
text: "Waste from animal carcasses"
},
{
value: "mines",
text: "Waste from mines or quarries"
},
{
value: "farm",
text: "Farm or agricultural waste"
}
]
}) }}
When to use this component
Use the checkboxes component when you need to help users:
select multiple options from a list
toggle a single option on or off
When not to use this component
Do not use the checkboxes component if users can only choose one option from a selection. In this case, use the radios component.
How it works
Always position checkboxes to the left of their labels. This makes them easier to find, especially for users of screen magnifiers.
Unlike with radios, users can select multiple options from a list of checkboxes. Do not assume that users will know how many options they can select based on the visual difference between radios and checkboxes alone.
If needed, add a hint explaining this, for example, ‘Select all that apply’.
Do not pre-select checkbox options as this makes it more likely that users will:
not realise they’ve missed a question
submit the wrong answer
Order checkbox options alphabetically by default.
In some cases, it can be helpful to order them from most-to-least common options. For example, you could order options for ‘What is your nationality?’ based on population size.
Group checkboxes together in a <fieldset> with a <legend> that describes them, as shown in the examples on this page. This is usually a question, like ‘How would you like to be contacted?’.
If you’re asking one question on the page
If you’re asking just one question per page as recommended, you can set the contents of the <legend> as the page heading. This is good practice as it means that users of screen readers will only hear the contents once.
There are 2 ways to use the checkboxes component. You can use HTML or, if you’re using Nunjucks or the GOV.UK Prototype Kit, you can use the Nunjucks macro.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="waste-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
Which types of waste do you transport?
</h1></legend><divid="waste-hint"class="govuk-hint">
Select all that apply
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="carcasses"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste">
Waste from animal carcasses
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-2"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="mines"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-2">
Waste from mines or quarries
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-3"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="farm"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-3">
Farm or agricultural waste
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "waste",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "Which types of waste do you transport?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
hint: {
text: "Select all that apply"
},
items: [
{
value: "carcasses",
text: "Waste from animal carcasses"
},
{
value: "mines",
text: "Waste from mines or quarries"
},
{
value: "farm",
text: "Farm or agricultural waste"
}
]
}) }}
If you’re asking more than one question on the page
If you’re asking more than one question on the page, do not set the contents of the <legend> as the page heading. Read more about asking multiple questions on question pages.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="waste-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend">
Which types of waste do you transport?
</legend><divid="waste-hint"class="govuk-hint">
Select all that apply
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="carcasses"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste">
Waste from animal carcasses
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-2"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="mines"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-2">
Waste from mines or quarries
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="waste-3"name="waste"type="checkbox"value="farm"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="waste-3">
Farm or agricultural waste
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "waste",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "Which types of waste do you transport?"
}
},
hint: {
text: "Select all that apply"
},
items: [
{
value: "carcasses",
text: "Waste from animal carcasses"
},
{
value: "mines",
text: "Waste from mines or quarries"
},
{
value: "farm",
text: "Farm or agricultural waste"
}
]
}) }}
Checkbox items with hints
You can add hints to checkbox items to provide additional information about the options.
Keep each hint to a single short sentence, without any full stops. Screen readers will read out the entire text when users interact with an item. This could frustrate users if the text is long.
Do not use links in hint text. While screen readers will read out the link text when describing the item, they usually do not tell users the text is a link.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="nationality-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
What is your nationality?
</h1></legend><divid="nationality-hint"class="govuk-hint">
If you have dual nationality, select all options that are relevant to you.
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="british"aria-describedby="nationality-item-hint"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality">
British
</label><divid="nationality-item-hint"class="govuk-hint govuk-checkboxes__hint">
including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish
</div></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality-2"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="irish"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality-2">
Irish
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality-3"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="other"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality-3">
Citizen of another country
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "nationality",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "What is your nationality?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
hint: {
text: "If you have dual nationality, select all options that are relevant to you."
},
items: [
{
value: "british",
text: "British",
hint: {
text: "including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish"
}
},
{
value: "irish",
text: "Irish"
},
{
value: "other",
text: "Citizen of another country"
}
]
}) }}
Add an option for ‘none’
When ‘none’ would be a valid answer, give users the option to check a box to say none of the other options apply to them – without this option, users would have to leave all of the boxes unchecked. Giving users this option also makes sure they do not skip the question by accident.
Remember to start by asking one question per page. You might be able to remove the need for a ‘none’ option by asking the user a better question or filtering them out with a ‘filter question’ beforehand. The GOV.UK Service Manual has guidance on designing good questions.
Show the ‘none’ option last. Separate it from the other options using a divider. The text is usually the word ‘or’.
Write a label that repeats the key part of the question.
For example, for the question ‘Will you be travelling to any of these countries?’, say ‘No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries.’
To enable some JavaScript that unchecks all other checkboxes when the user clicks ‘None’, add the exclusive behaviour to the ‘none’ checkbox.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="countries-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
Will you be travelling to any of these countries?
</h1></legend><divid="countries-hint"class="govuk-hint">
Select all countries that apply
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="france"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries">
France
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-2"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="portugal"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-2">
Portugal
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-3"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="spain"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-3">
Spain
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__divider">or</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-5"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="none"data-behaviour="exclusive"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-5">
No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "countries",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "Will you be travelling to any of these countries?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
hint: {
text: "Select all countries that apply"
},
items: [
{
value: "france",
text: "France"
},
{
value: "portugal",
text: "Portugal"
},
{
value: "spain",
text: "Spain"
},
{
divider: "or"
},
{
value: "none",
text: "No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries",
behaviour: "exclusive"
}
]
}) }}
If JavaScript is unavailable, and a user selects both the ‘none’ checkbox and another checkbox, display an error message.
<divclass="govuk-form-group govuk-form-group--error"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="countries-error"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
Will you be travelling to any of these countries?
</h1></legend><pid="countries-error"class="govuk-error-message"><spanclass="govuk-visually-hidden">Error:</span> Select countries you will be travelling to, or select ‘No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries’
</p><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="france"checked><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries">
France
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-2"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="portugal"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-2">
Portugal
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-3"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="spain"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-3">
Spain
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__divider">or</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="countries-5"name="countries"type="checkbox"value="none"checkeddata-behaviour="exclusive"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="countries-5">
No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "countries",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "Will you be travelling to any of these countries?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
errorMessage: {
text: "Select countries you will be travelling to, or select ‘No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries’"
},
items: [
{
value: "france",
text: "France",
checked: true
},
{
value: "portugal",
text: "Portugal"
},
{
value: "spain",
text: "Spain"
},
{
divider: "or"
},
{
value: "none",
text: "No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries",
checked: true,
behaviour: "exclusive"
}
]
}) }}
Conditionally revealing a related question
You can ask the user a related question when they select a particular checkbox, so they only see the question when it’s relevant to them.
This might make 2 related questions easier to answer by grouping them on the same page. For example, you could reveal a phone number input when the user selects the ‘Contact me by phone’ option.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="contact-hint"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
How would you like to be contacted?
</h1></legend><divid="contact-hint"class="govuk-hint">
Select all options that are relevant to you
</div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="contact"name="contact"type="checkbox"value="email"data-aria-controls="conditional-contact"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="contact">
Email
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__conditional govuk-checkboxes__conditional--hidden"id="conditional-contact"><divclass="govuk-form-group"><labelclass="govuk-label"for="contact-by-email">
Email address
</label><inputclass="govuk-input govuk-!-width-one-third"id="contact-by-email"name="contactByEmail"type="email"spellcheck="false"autocomplete="email"></div></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="contact-2"name="contact"type="checkbox"value="phone"data-aria-controls="conditional-contact-2"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="contact-2">
Phone
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__conditional govuk-checkboxes__conditional--hidden"id="conditional-contact-2"><divclass="govuk-form-group"><labelclass="govuk-label"for="contact-by-phone">
Phone number
</label><inputclass="govuk-input govuk-!-width-one-third"id="contact-by-phone"name="contactByPhone"type="tel"autocomplete="tel"></div></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="contact-3"name="contact"type="checkbox"value="text message"data-aria-controls="conditional-contact-3"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="contact-3">
Text message
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__conditional govuk-checkboxes__conditional--hidden"id="conditional-contact-3"><divclass="govuk-form-group"><labelclass="govuk-label"for="contact-by-text">
Mobile phone number
</label><inputclass="govuk-input govuk-!-width-one-third"id="contact-by-text"name="contactByText"type="tel"autocomplete="tel"></div></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
However, we found that screen reader users did not have difficulty answering a conditionally revealed question - as long as it’s kept simple. It confused our test users when we conditionally revealed complicated questions to them.
Use standard-sized checkboxes in most cases. However, smaller checkboxes work well on pages where it’s helpful to make them less visually prominent.
For example, on a page of search results, the main user need is to see the results. Using smaller checkboxes lets users see and change search filters without distracting them from the main content.
<divclass="govuk-form-group"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--m"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
Organisation
</h1></legend><divclass="govuk-checkboxes govuk-checkboxes--small"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="organisation"name="organisation"type="checkbox"value="hmrc"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="organisation">
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="organisation-2"name="organisation"type="checkbox"value="employment-tribunal"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="organisation-2">
Employment Tribunal
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="organisation-3"name="organisation"type="checkbox"value="MOD"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="organisation-3">
Ministry of Defence
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="organisation-4"name="organisation"type="checkbox"value="DfT"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="organisation-4">
Department for Transport
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
<divclass="govuk-form-group govuk-form-group--error"><fieldsetclass="govuk-fieldset"aria-describedby="nationality-hint nationality-error"><legendclass="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l"><h1class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
What is your nationality?
</h1></legend><divid="nationality-hint"class="govuk-hint">
If you have dual nationality, select all options that are relevant to you
</div><pid="nationality-error"class="govuk-error-message"><spanclass="govuk-visually-hidden">Error:</span> Select if you are British, Irish or a citizen of a different country
</p><divclass="govuk-checkboxes"data-module="govuk-checkboxes"><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="british"aria-describedby="nationality-item-hint"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality">
British
</label><divid="nationality-item-hint"class="govuk-hint govuk-checkboxes__hint">
including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish
</div></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality-2"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="irish"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality-2">
Irish
</label></div><divclass="govuk-checkboxes__item"><inputclass="govuk-checkboxes__input"id="nationality-3"name="nationality"type="checkbox"value="other"><labelclass="govuk-label govuk-checkboxes__label"for="nationality-3">
Citizen of another country
</label></div></div></fieldset></div>
Nunjucks macro options
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as “Required” in the option description.
If you’re using Nunjucks macros in production with “html” options, or ones ending with “html”, you must sanitise the HTML to protect against cross-site scripting exploits.
Primary options
Name
Type
Description
describedBy
string
One or more element IDs to add to the input aria-describedby attribute without a fieldset, used to provide additional descriptive information for screenreader users.
fieldset
object
Can be used to add a fieldset to the checkboxes component.
See fieldset.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to the checkboxes component.
See hint.
errorMessage
object
Can be used to add an error message to the checkboxes component. The error message component will not display if you use a falsy value for errorMessage, for example false or null.
See errorMessage.
formGroup
object
Additional options for the form group containing the checkboxes component.
See formGroup.
idPrefix
string
Optional prefix. This is used to prefix the id attribute for each checkbox item input, hint and error message, separated by -. Defaults to the name option value.
name
string
Required.
Name attribute for all checkbox items.
items
array
Required.
The checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See items.
values
array
Array of values for checkboxes which should be checked when the page loads. Use this as an alternative to setting the checked option on each individual item.
classes
string
Classes to add to the checkboxes container.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the anchor tag.
Options for formGroup object
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the form group (for example to show error state for the whole group).
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the form group.
beforeInputs
object
Content to add before all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup beforeInputs.
afterInputs
object
Content to add after all checkbox items within the checkboxes component.
See formGroup afterInputs.
Options for formGroup beforeInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add before all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for formGroup afterInputs object
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
Text to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
HTML to add after all checkbox items. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
Options for items array objects
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within each checkbox item label. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Specific ID attribute for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global idPrefix option will be applied.
name
string
Specific name for the checkbox item. If omitted, then component global name string will be applied.
value
string
Required.
Value for the checkbox input.
label
object
Subset of options for the label used by each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See items label.
hint
object
Can be used to add a hint to each checkbox item within the checkboxes component.
See hint.
divider
string
Divider text to separate checkbox items, for example the text "or".
checked
boolean
Whether the checkbox should be checked when the page loads. Takes precedence over the top-level values option.
conditional
object
Provide additional content to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
See items conditional.
behaviour
string
If set to "exclusive", implements a ‘None of these’ type behaviour via JavaScript when checkboxes are clicked.
disabled
boolean
If true, checkbox will be disabled.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the checkbox input tag.
Options for items label component
Name
Type
Description
classes
string
Classes to add to the label tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the label tag.
Options for items conditional object
Name
Type
Description
html
string
Required.
The HTML to reveal when the checkbox is checked.
Options for hint component
Name
Type
Description
text
string
Required.
If html is set, this is not required. Text to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
html
string
Required.
If text is set, this is not required. HTML to use within the hint. If html is provided, the text option will be ignored.
id
string
Optional ID attribute to add to the hint span tag.
classes
string
Classes to add to the hint span tag.
attributes
object
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the hint span tag.
{% from"govuk/components/checkboxes/macro.njk"import govukCheckboxes %}
{{ govukCheckboxes({
name: "nationality",
fieldset: {
legend: {
text: "What is your nationality?",
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l"
}
},
hint: {
text: "If you have dual nationality, select all options that are relevant to you"
},
errorMessage: {
text: "Select if you are British, Irish or a citizen of a different country"
},
items: [
{
value: "british",
text: "British",
hint: {
text: "including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish"
}
},
{
value: "irish",
text: "Irish"
},
{
value: "other",
text: "Citizen of another country"
}
]
}) }}
Make sure errors follow the guidance in error message and have specific error messages for specific error states.
If nothing is selected and the question has options in it
Say ‘Select if [whatever it is]’.
For example, ‘Select if you are British, Irish or a citizen of a different country’.
If nothing is selected and the question does not have options in it
Say ‘Select [whatever it is]’.
For example, ‘Select your nationality or nationalities’.
If users check both a ‘none’ checkbox and another checkbox
Say:
Select [option label text] or select ‘[none of the above label text]’
For example:
Select countries you will be travelling to, or select ‘No, I will not be travelling to any of these countries’