# Label

> Form field label with required, disabled, and tooltip affordances.

- Status: stable
- Group: form
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/label
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Label.contract.json

## When to use

Label is the visible name of a form control. It requires htmlFor and renders a native label element, so click-to-focus and screen-reader name resolution are the browser's. required adds a visible asterisk (aria-hidden) plus screen-reader-only text (the translated "(required)", or requiredText), disabled applies the muted treatment, and tooltipText maps to the native title attribute.

## When not to use

- Do not place validation errors inside Label. Errors belong to the input's described-by region, not the label.
- Do not use a Label as a section heading. Headings carry navigation semantics that Label does not.
- Do not use Label as a heading above multiple controls; use FormField's group mode or a fieldset legend.

## Look-alikes

- FormField: Do not use Label as a heading above multiple controls; use FormField's group mode or a fieldset legend.
- GroupLabel: Do not use as the label of an ordinary single input; that is `Label`. as="label" is for the primary control of a composite group.
- Text: Do not label form fields with Text; use Label (htmlFor) and HelperText (aria-describedby).

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `htmlFor` | `string` | none | Id of the form control this label describes. | Yes |
| `tooltipText` | `string` | none | Native tooltip text; used as a fallback when `title` is not set. | No |
| `required` | `boolean` | `false` | Appends a "*" marker plus an sr-only hint, `requiredText` or the translated "(required)". It only changes the label text; the control still needs its own required. | No |
| `requiredText` | `string` | none | Screen-reader hint read after a required label. Defaults to the translated "(required)" (`label.required`). | No |
| `disabled` | `boolean` | `false` | Dims the label and shows a not-allowed cursor. | No |
| `variant` | `"option" \| "field"` | `field` | `field` names a control above or beside it (semibold); `option` is the text of a checkbox, radio or switch, which reads as plain text. | No |

## Variants

- Available variants: `field`, `option` (default `field`).

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

The contract records no keyboard interaction.

## Rules

Every item under When not to use is a MUST NOT. MUST and SHOULD follow RFC 2119.

| Level | Rule | How it is checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MUST | ARIA: HtmlFor associates control. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Required appends an aria-hidden asterisk and sr-only hint to the label's name: requiredText, or the translated "(required)" (`label.required`, "(pakollinen)" in FI, "(obligatoriskt)" in SV). The required state itself comes from the control's own required or aria-required. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | Required stories produce no axe violations at the configured severity. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 2.5.8. |
| MUST | The accessibility tree (role, name, state) matches the committed snapshot for every required story. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2. |
| MUST | The component remains legible and operable under a real browser forced-colors: active pass. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:hc`. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-11-04. |
| SHOULD | Always pass htmlFor with the input's id; the explicit association is grep-able and survives markup reordering. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Pair required on the Label with required on the input so the visual and ARIA states agree. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Pair disabled on the Label with disabled on the input; the prop is visual only and does not propagate. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Keep critical guidance in HelperText; native title tooltips do not fire on touch. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not put validation errors in the Label; errors belong to the input's error state and the form-level error region. | Not stated in the contract. |

## Install and import

- Install: `npm install @digitaltableteur/react` (version 0.9.1, restricted access on npm).
- Import: `import { Label } from "@digitaltableteur/react";`
- Entry point: `@digitaltableteur/react/forms` exports it too.
- Styles: import `@digitaltableteur/react/style.css` once at the app boundary.
- Also available as the custom element `<dt-label>`; see the custom elements manifest.

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Label.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/label.md
- Component index as JSON: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components.json
- All components: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components
- Source: The implementation lives in a private repository. This page, its Markdown twin and the contract are generated from it at build time and are the public source of truth.