# Vanilla JavaScript Stop Form Submit

Let's say we want to add form validation in `JavaScript`, first we need to stop the form from actually submitting.

We can do this very simply in `JavaScript`.

## HTML Structure

```html
<form onsubmit="return validate();" novalidate>
  <input type="text" name="name" id="name" placeholder="Your name?" required />
  <br /><br />
  <input type="text" name="leave" placeholder="Leave me" />
  <br /><br />
  <input type="submit" value="Send" />
</form>
```

As you can see we use the `on submit` function and say to return a function callback.
Then we have two fields of we will validate the first one.

## JavaScript Stop Submit

To stop the submit we use the following code:

```js
function validate() {
  var name = document.getElementById('name');
  if (name && name.value) {
    return true;
  } else {
    alert('Please fill the name field');
    return false;
  }
}
```

We use the return values, either true or false, depending on whether someone filled out the name field.

We could even use `event.preventDefault()` on the `onsubmit` function, but this will cause any action not to go true.

That would work well if we plan an Ajax post, for instance.

You can find this example on Codepen.

[View on Codepen.](https://codepen.io/rebelchris/pen/wvMmPgB)

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