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Published: April 15, 2026

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At Chrome, we take a global perspective to understand local needs. We are
constantly working to improve localization and support cultural nuances across
different regions. Our latest update to Japanese naming conventions in Chrome
autofill is part of this ongoing effort to make the web more inclusive and
helpful for users everywhere.

This update expands support for phonetic name variations, which lets users
automatically fill both their Kanji and Furigana (phonetic scripts in Katakana
or Hiragana) name fields. In Japan, names have both a visual representation and
a specific phonetic reading, which often requires separate fields in web forms.
By enabling support for these phonetic variations, Chrome reduces the friction
of completing online forms, for example, medical registrations to ecommerce
checkouts, saving users time and effort.

## Why Japanese names need dedicated support

Because the same Japanese Kanji can have multiple phonetic readings, online
forms typically ask users to enter their name in Kanji and Furigana separately.
This ensures that users can be addressed correctly (for example, over the phone)
and that data can be sorted and managed accurately.

A major challenge for developers is that *there is no standard value for
phonetic names in the HTML standard*. Therefore, the browser relies on a
combination of signals to determine if a field asks for a phonetic name.

## How Chrome detects phonetic name fields

Chrome Autofill uses a heuristic based on three primary signals to identify
phonetic name fields:

- The `autocomplete` attribute
- Field labels
- Field `name` attributes

### The `autocomplete` attribute

The `autocomplete` attribute is the strongest signal and takes precedence.
However, if you use a non-standard value, Chrome does not fall back to
heuristics. Because this prevents Autofill from working correctly, avoid
non-standard Autofill attributes.

Because the HTML specification lacks a dedicated phonetic name value, developers
should either leave this attribute **missing** or set it to its **regular name
counterpart**:

- **Phonetic full name:** `autocomplete="name"`
- **Phonetic family name:** `autocomplete="family-name"`
- **Phonetic given name:** `autocomplete="given-name"`

### Labels and name attributes

Because the standard `autocomplete` values apply to both regular and phonetic
names, Chrome relies on the field's `name` and `<label>` text to distinguish
between them.

The following table lists the valid strings and characters that Chrome's parser
uses to identify phonetic fields:

| Field Type | Valid Field Names | Valid Field Labels |
|---|---|---|
| **Phonetic full name** | `full-name-phonetic` セイメイ せいめい | セイメイ せいめい |
| **Phonetic family name** | `family-name-phonetic` セイ せい | セイ せい 姓ふりがな |
| **Phonetic given name** | `given-name-phonetic` メイ 名ふりがな | メイ めい 名ふりがな |

### Best practice example

To provide a good experience, structure your forms using clear labels and
descriptive fallback names:

```html
<form>
  <!-- Full phonetic name -->
  <label for="phonetic-full">セイメイ</label>
  <input id="phonetic-full" name="full-name-phonetic" type="text"/>

  <!-- Family phonetic name -->
  <label for="phonetic-family">セイ</label>
  <input id="phonetic-family" name="family-name-phonetic" type="text"/>

  <!-- Given phonetic name -->
  <label for="phonetic-given">メイ</label>
  <input id="phonetic-given" name="given-name-phonetic" type="text"/>
</form>
```

## How Chrome determines katakana or hiragana

Chrome Autofill can automatically transliterate and fill either Katakana or
Hiragana based on your form's needs.

Chrome inspects the **field's label (not its name)** to decide which script to
use:

- If the label contains **at least one Katakana character**, Chrome fills the field with Katakana.
- Otherwise, Chrome defaults to Hiragana.

| Field Label | Character script filled |
|---|---|
| **セイメイ** (Katakana) | Katakana |
| **せいめい** (Hiragana) | Hiragana |
| **Phonetic full name** (English) | Hiragana |
| **セイメイせいめい** (Mixed) | Katakana |

## Debug phonetic autofill

You can test how Chrome Autofill handles Japanese phonetic names using a demo
site in CodePen: [View Demo on
CodePen](https://es-d-5325957020260328-019d1f2d-dce1-76f4-b506-29cf8c1017a2.codepen.dev/)

You can verify if Chrome is correctly identifying your fields using Chrome
DevTools:

1. Open your page and open the DevTools panel.
2. Navigate to the **Autofill** tool (available in the **More Tools** menu).
3. Trigger form filling.
4. The tool should classify the phonetic fields as **Alternative full name** , **Alternative family name** , or **Alternative given name**.

![Form with an option to enter a phonetic name (Furigana) for a contact](https://developer.chrome.com/static/blog/japanese-phonetic-name-autofill/image/form_phonetic.png)

## How users can set up phonetic names in Chrome

While this post is primarily for developers, understanding how users set up
their phonetic profiles can help you test your forms.

1. Open Chrome settings by navigating to `chrome://settings/addresses` (or `chrome://settings/contactInfo` in some versions).
2. Select the **three-dot menu** beside a contact or address and click **Edit**.
3. Enter the **Phonetic name** (Furigana) in the provided field.

![Chrome DevTools Autofill panel showing phonetic name fields classified as Alternative full name, Alternative family name, or Alternative given name](https://developer.chrome.com/static/blog/japanese-phonetic-name-autofill/image/devtools_japanese_autofill.png)

Chrome saves these phonetic profiles, which lets users autofill forms without
re-typing. If a user has a phonetic name saved, Chrome tries to apply it
whenever it detects an appropriate field (for example, using standard attributes
or heuristics).

## Help Chrome split names correctly

Chrome automatically splits Japanese full names into family name and given name,
but this process is not always straightforward. While Chrome has built-in
mechanisms to learn and improve these divisions over time, users can manually
ensure accuracy by entering a separator within the **Name** or **Phonetic name**
fields in Chrome Autofill settings (`chrome://settings/addresses`). Chrome
recognizes the following characters as delimiters:

- `-` (Hyphen)
- `・` (Katakana Middle Dot)
- `·` (Middle Dot)
- 　 (Ideographic Space)
- Standard space

While you can enter phonetic names in either script, Chrome defaults to
displaying them in Hiragana in the settings UI (matching standard Google
Contacts behavior).

For developers, while manual delimiters help Chrome parse single-field inputs,
the most reliable way to ensure Chrome handles names correctly is to eliminate
the ambiguity. Whenever possible, design your forms with separate inputs for
family and given names (using the `family-name` and `given-name` autocomplete
attributes).

## Improve the Autofill experience

By enabling faster and more accurate form filling, Autofill creates a smoother
journey for users and helps organizations reduce form abandonment. To learn more
about best practices and how to make your forms fully Autofill-friendly,
[explore comprehensive
resources](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/identity/autofill).