jQuery is one of the most popular tools for web designers today. It’s a library of JavaScript codes and plugins that allow designers and developers to replicate and install functionality without the need for re-coding it from scratch. You can use jQuery plugins to gather user input through various ways on your websites and apps, such as by adding forms, quizzes, field submissions and other plugins. Check out these free and open source jQuery plugins that can save you time and give your websites and applications instant functionality.
1. Selectric
The Selectric plugin is a jQuery library component that allows you to create custom HTML select functionality. This open source plugin can be used with buttons and drop-down menus to gather user input on your site’s frontend.
This free jQuery image selector will help you collect image choices, preferences, and uploaded photos through the use of a graphical interface. This tool is a great way to spruce up your standard drop-down image selectors.
If you’re looking for a cool way to let users choose between two photos, or compare images on your website then this plugin is right for you. This open source jQuery tool lets you create a slider effect over any image or pair of images to highlight visual differences.
4. Readable
The user input and data you collect will be more accurate if your instructions are clear and readable. That’s why this jQuery plugin is a great choice for websites with user input instructions. This free tool makes any paragraphs optimally display for maximum readability.
5. Formatter
jQuery is used in this handy plugin to format the input and data you collect from users into a more convenient pattern and structure. This plugin offers more functionality than previous formatters and is popular among web admins.
6. Type Ahead
This free jQuery plugin was actually made for the social network Twitter. Its designers have included it in the open source jQuery library for use on any website. The plugin auto-fills relevant information when your users begin typing into the specific field.
7. Check Radio
Radio buttons are a great way to gather user input because they are simple and display well on any device. This jQuery plugin will enhance your radio button input with increased functionality and options.
8. FitText
Make your interfaces and user input forms more interesting and visually appealing by using this free plugin that scales your text and typography. This plugin uses jQuery and works with font packs or vector images to give your text dynamic responsiveness.
9. SelectNav
SelectNav is a popular jQuery plugin that install menu buttons for user input through a responsive drop-down navigation system. This free tool can be used to create the basis for any menu or options selection on your website.
10. Ideal Forms
This jQuery plugin will help you create responsive HTML5 forms for any website or app. The forms created with this tool will collect user input which can be stored in a database on your server, all while remaining stylish and modern in appearance. This plugin creates fully responsive forms.
11. AutoJS
Let users auto-fill text and submission fields on your site with a pre-built dictionary you can edit. This is one of the best auto-fill tools for JavaScript on the web. You can use this plugin on WordPress and other CMS sites, as well as with HTML and CSS.
12. Magnific Popup
This is a great jQuery plugin for displaying dialogue scripts and other input fields in a lightbox setting. Try this on your email and newsletter data collection fields for a more interesting look and feel than plain text.
13. Tabslet
Consider organizing your user input fields and forms using this neat jQuery plugin which can create various tabs across your website. This is a great choice for expanding navbars and site headers.
14. TextExt
The TextExt jQuery can be used on nearly any website to install an autocomplete and tagging system. This open source plugin is popular among WordPress sites, just make sure your WordPress hosting allows JavaScript and jQuery installation.
15. Face Detection with jQuery
While facial recognition may seem like an out of reach technology for smaller websites and apps, this open source plugin can bring the high-tech solution to your very own site for free using just jQuery.
16. Validetta
Validetta is a free jQuery library plugin that validates forms on your websites. This can be used on sites with WordPress Hosting to validate WordPress form plugin fields. This plugin can check fields for character type and values to prevent incomplete answers on your site.
17. Slinky Menu
This jQuery menu plugin will collect user interactions within a graphical menu. It’s a great choice for responsive websites and mobile apps as it’s already fully responsive in design.
18. Circle Slider
This jQuery plugin was created with JavaScript and CSS and can help gather input by displaying an easy to read measure of any factor. You can use this to respond to user input like browser speed or quiz results to make data collection more engaging.
19. GeoComplete
When you’re typing an physical address into a search or input field you’ll probably notice if the site offers to auto-fill the rest of your location. This handy feature can easily be installed on your own site through the jQuery plugin Geocomplete. This plugin uses Google Maps data to offer accurate address auto-fill.
20. SVGMagic
Many browsers have issues loading SVG, or scalable vector graphic, image files. This handy jQuery plugin gathers input from the browser to check for SVG compatibility. If SVG images are detected and can’t be displayed, the plugin will create PNG versions of those graphics on the fly.
These jQuery library plugins will save you time and add amazing features to your website. You will have many options for gathering user input by utilizing some of these well-crafted plugins. Some of these open source plugins work best alone, while others may be used in combination to gather and organize a wide range of user input data.