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setError

Manually set an input error

setError:(name: string, error: FieldError, { shouldFocus?: boolean }) => void

The function allows you to manually set one or more errors.

Props

NameTypeDescription
namestring

input's name.

error{ type: string, message?: string, types: MultipleFieldErrors }

Set an error with its type and message.

config{ shouldFocus?: boolean }

Should focus the input during setting an error. This only works when the input's reference is registered, it will not work for custom register as well.

Rules

  • This method will not persist the associated input error if the input passes validation.

  • An error that is not associated with an input field will be persisted until cleared with clearErrors.

  • Can be useful in the handleSubmit method when you want to give error feedback to a user after async validation. (ex: API returns validation errors)

  • shouldFocus doesn't work when an input has been disabled.

Examples

CodeSandbox 
import React from "react";
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form";

export default function App() {
  const { register, handleSubmit, setError, formState: { errors } } = useForm();
  const onSubmit = data => {
    console.log(data)
  };
  const { onChange, ...rest } = register("username");

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <input
        onChange={(e) => {
          setError("username", {
            type: "manual",
            message: "Dont Forget Your Username Should Be Cool!",
          });
          onChange(e);
        }}
        {...rest}
      />
      {errors.username && <p>{errors.username.message}</p>}

      <button
        type="button"
        onClick={() => {
          setError("test", { type: "focus" }, { shouldFocus: true });
        }}
      >
        Set Error Focus
      </button>
      <input type="submit" />
    </form>
  );
};
CodeSandbox 
import * as React from "react";
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form";

export default function App() {
  const { register, handleSubmit, setError, formState: { errors } } = useForm();

  const onSubmit = data => {
    console.log(data)
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <label>Username</label>
      <input {...register("username")} />
      {errors.username && <p>{errors.username.message}</p>}
      <label>First Name</label>
      <input {...register("lastName")} />
      {errors.firstName && <p>{errors.firstName.message}</p>}
      <button
        type="button"
        onClick={() => {
          [
            {
              type: "manual",
              name: "username",
              message: "Double Check This"
            },
            {
              type: "manual",
              name: "firstName",
              message: "Triple Check This"
            }
          ].forEach(({ name, type, message }) =>
            setError(name, { type, message })
          );
        }}
      >
        Trigger Name Errors
      </button>
      <input type="submit" />
    </form>
  );
};
CodeSandbox 
import * as React from "react";
import { useForm } from "react-hook-form";

export default function App() {
  const { register, handleSubmit, setError, formState: { errors } } = useForm({
    criteriaMode: 'all',
  });
  const onSubmit = data => {
    console.log(data)
  };
  
  React.useEffect(() => {
    setError("lastName", {
      types: {
        required: "This is required",
        minLength: "This is minLength"
      }
    });
  }, [setError])

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <label>Last Name</label>
      <input {...register("lastName")} />
      {errors.lastName && errors.lastName.types && (
        <p>{errors.lastName.types.required}</p>
      )}
      {errors.lastName && errors.lastName.types && (
        <p>{errors.lastName.types.minLength}</p>
      )}
      <input type="submit" />
    </form>
  );
};

Video

The following video explain setError API in detail.

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